Battle Comrade The Soviet Project
by Greyhoundee
Summary: My Battle Royale story in C&C Red Alert universe. There's peace between the 3 superpowers and a class form the EotRS goes into a trip to England but suddenly everything turns into a disaster. Which of the nation was tratior? How the class end up in a BR?
1. Prologue

** KAGAWA prefecture, ZENTSUJI Zentsuji Junior High School 3/e**

Boys:

1. Baku Baisotei

2. Yamato Chiba

3. Fuyuki Shinji Egami

4. Gouki Hayata

5. Gouki Kakutama

6. Norito Royama

7. Fukashi Murata

8. Dan Nomura

9. Isato Okumura

10. Ben Ugaki

11. Baku Shoda

12. Asuya Fukuda

13. Michio Otomo

14. Kinji Ryusaki

15. Riki Ryusaki

16. Fukashi Tenzai

Girls:

1. Rena Bando

2. Nana Bunya

3. Benika Hoshino

4. Anri Kimura

5. Kirika Kido

6. Sonoko Kuroki

7. Fuyumi Morimoto

8. Midori Ogiwara

9. Rumiko Ozawa

10. Chisato Ozawa

11. Nichie Shiomi

12. Erina Sasaki

13. Yaeka Sugiyama

14. Sonia Tenzai

15. Katsumi Wakai

16. Anri Souma

17. Ayami Horigoshi

18. Etsumi Inukai

19. Iyona Tsumura

20. Yurisa Akera

_Yomiuri Shimbun, 2008.05.04._

_**A student group goes into England onto a class excursion**_

_The English specialized class of the 4. No. Zentsuji high school of the small town Zentsuji set Great Britain as an excursion aim in spite of these heavy times. Vainly, that there is a hostile relation between our bright homeland and there have been lesser or grater clashes among our realms, but thanks to our evolving diplomatic contacts, it seems, that we can put away our dissidence._

_Although, the Soviet Union stands against the peace talks, Emperor Yoshiro favours this excursion, with which one we have the chance to correct on the poisoned states between the Empire of the Rising Sun and the Allies. If the Allies will ready to sign peace, the Soviet Union initiates negotiations as well, so there will be no need the alliance among this two superpower against our empire anymore. - the governance hopes so._

_The class 3/e started on their journey on 03/05/2008, and hopefully, arrived today in London. The 36 -students and the four accompanying teachers will be accommodated by guest-families in a town, named Barnstaple (population: 34,000) in North Devon, where not only learn the language but also learn about the culture of its people, history and customs. According to the Emperor, this is an extremely important factor building up a friendly relationship, an essential factor to understand, accept each other's habits, and have mutual trust with our fellow-beings. The government of the Allies also guaranteed the safety of the group for the entire duration of their stay and promised, if everything takes place smoothly, the peace talks can be immediately begin in Geneva._

**PROLOGUE**

It was the year of 2008, May the 3rd. It was not an average Sunday.

The class 3/e from Zentsuji 4th No Junior High School (Kagawa Prefecture) was ready to set out for the class trip, only a few students were standing near the bus to say goodbye to their parents or help loading the luggage into the bus. The weather was gorgeous, nothing could be more ideal for this holiday.

The class was at full strength. Everybody had come.

'Strange. There's always someone who finds a good excuse and stay at home. At least a good alibi for the doctor to send him or her home.'

Sonoko Kuroki (girls, #6) thought about that, as she looked out the window of the coach. She was sitting next to her best friend, Rumiko Ozawa (girls, #9). Sonoko found strange the full class number, mainly because they both belong with that "prefer stay at home" band. Whenever they could, bunked off class trips and laughed at home at their poor classmates, who had to stand their annoying form teacher, Mr. Fukashi Genda. Nobody likes him. Fortunately, he won't come this time. But more about the teachers later.

Sonoko asked herself: 'Why am I here?'

„ Because it's compulsory." Rumiko replied immediately, without looking up her favourite comic book.

Oopsie! So she said that out loud? Typical behaviour of Sonoko, that she delves into her thoughts very much and sometimes says them aloud. When she draws, it often happens that she acquires the characters mood. Sonoko looked again at Rumiko, and then stood up to stretch her tired glimpsed to the watch next to the bus driver in front of the bus (her eyesight is slipping, she should buy new glasses), last she found from the slightly blur digits that they are on way at least three hours.

She did not know where are they going exactly, she was not interested in at all. She and Rumiko's seat was in front of the last four-seats of the vehicle. On the left side. Now as she stood up, she could see almost the entire bus.

In the front were sitting the normals, also known as the "dweebs". Like Yaeka Sugiyama (girls, #13) and Sonia Tenzai (girls, #14). They both doing very well at school, (mainly Yaeka), still humbly disacknowledge. Then there is Midori Ogiwara (girls, #8), a quiet girl within the class, but in the student hostel she's the main humorist. Midori laughs so many that she should be shot. Anri Kimura (girls, #4) also can be classified the normals, but the always smiling Erina Sasaki (girls #12) can be hardly call well-behaved. Anri and Erina sits always next to each other, in lessons and of course currently, too. They are good friends since they were kids and go together to parties and drink themselves under the table[1].

After all, the people in 3/e aren't so separated from each other, the best friends are exactly the opposite personalities, though an outsider would tell, how factious is that 36-person team. The most worldlings are maybe Erina's circle of friends: Kirika Kido (girls, #5), true, she's a bit overweight, but also a hotshot - so she can easily has three guys together (maybe I say a little with three). Or Fuyumi Morimoto (girls, #7) - she goes out with a guy from 4/e, after all she's a worldling and finally Katsumi Wakai (girls #15), who is very popular between boys thanks to her average-size breasts. Anri Souma (girls, #16) lives together in the same student hostel room with these three (the whole class lives in the same hostel), but cannot say, Anri hangs with them. She is very weird and unpredictable, she should be always right and if someone does things she doesn't prefer, then 'You can have my eternal wrath! I will never speak again with you! Never again up ten minutes!' Sometimes she argues with her closest friend, Nichie Shiomi (girls, #11), although since Nichie since moved to Erina's room, they don't talk too much. Only during lessons, but then they speak a lot. Lately it had a new fashion between the girls (just in Erina's room), all the room members playing the sedulous ape to her. Benika Hoshino (girls, #3) is a great example for that, whose mother divorced Benika's father and now lives together with her two younger brothers. Benika just started school when it happened. Since then, her mother got together with someone from the town, and therefore try to keep her youthful appearance. Benika learned from her mother that damn "I have to look pretty!" and "Smile on the boys!" attitude.

This has become even more unbearable these times and is often a good backbiting topic for Erina's clique. Her supposed best friend Rena Bando (girls, #1) was fed up with that, too.

By the way, Rena was Sonoko's best friend their age 1/e but Benika had come and he managed to tear apart their friendship. Without that Sonoko would never team up with Rumiko, but that memory is still hurts Sonoko, it doesn't matter what she said to the others ('I don't care that anymore.') It could be because of the terrible first year in the Junior High School...

From this year Rena spends the most time (we can say day and night) with her boyfriend, Dan[2] Nomura (boys, #8) - it's not so stunning, they are sitting on the bus side by side, in the same row as Sonoko and Rumiko, only on the right side. Rena rested her head on Dan's shoulder, while they were listening together Dan's iPod (with Rumiko's headset)

Sonoko thrilled on Nana Bunya's (girls, #2) voice and turned round to her direction.

„Wanna some?" asked Nana and held out a large pack in silver paper. There were some sweets in the package.

The way she gave sweets to the two girls, the movement, reminded Sonoko of another Nana from the first year. That Nana would say: "Take it, b*tches!" But she is no longer so. Yet. But that is another long story, from that dark first year in the Junior High School.

Sonoko spent that year in suffer thanks to Amika Kentaro (she is in 2/e, failed the test at the end of the last year) and she caused for Nana an almost unfortunate ending. Fortunately all turned well and they both left Amika, Nana ran around with Midori instead. So Amika had to look after a new toy, Chisato Ozawa (girls, #10) was the perfect person. Amika is an extremely raffish chick, she says, what she thinks, talks dirty and isn't abashed by innerly things. She gives herself airs like a talented actress, who deserves OSCAR. That's why the boys are all over her, but they are only needed to...

To "have fun". Yeah. She was successful, no matter what she started to do - of course with a help of many people who were played upon by her then. And she dodged all trouble cleverly. This luckiest story-teller and singer girl of the world was Sonoko's best friend. In the past. This is the mystery of that first year, too.

„ My Sonoko, are you still alive? I speak to you!" Nana almost shouted „Take some! Help yourself! Rumiko?"

Sonoko shook her head.

„I have chewing gum."

Rumiko looked up a bit behind her manga comic.

„No, thankie." politely shook her head twice. That movement... typical "rumikoish".

„Doesn't matter, it will be more for us." Nana sat back her seat in disappointment and Sonoko continued looking around in the bus.

To the left, almost in the middle sat the fat cats of the class, Baku Shoda (boys, #11), Yamato Chiba (boys, #2) and Gouki Hayata (boys, #4). Well, Gouki can be called anything (and everyone do gladly) only not hard. He wants to solve all his problems with explaining things away. He can sh*ts better than a politician. He could also explain that your ears are your nose if he had the mood for it. Just to be right. His voice is often subject of jokes in the classroom: a thin and raspy "like a cut horse." Dan used to say that. Sometimes the boys included his names for the girls' just for fun.

Behind the pros Fukashi Murata (boys, #7) and Okumura Isato (boys, #9) entertained each other with their dog stories. These twos are quite figurative, for example Fukashi reads fantasy books. But with Norito Royama (boys, #6), they make an incredibly bombastic team when they start to bugger around. Then the audience prefer should be prepared for a sudden coming, big amount of laughing or you will suffer from the symptom called muscle strain. They talk so much nonsense that it hurts. Beyond Yamato's and the other's seat Sonoko could see only heads.

She recognized Goushi Kakutama's (boys, #5) ratty plait of hair - usually he wears ponytail and his childhoods best friend, Ben Ugaki's (boys, #10) short curls. Asuya Fukuda (boys, #12) was standing up from his seat in that very moment to join his girlfriend, Yaeka. Fuyuki Shinji Egami and Baku Baisotei (boys, #3, #10) had the loudest laugh in the whole bus. They make also a great team together in talk hooey but only between themselves.

Suddenly Rumiko snorted nervously and pretended not to notice that the new girls behind their place were kicking her seat all the time. By name: Etsumi Inukai (girls, #18) and Yurisa Akera(girls, #20).

„They have been just from another school, what do they want?" Rumiko muttered, but she ended the issue with that much.

Six students came to the 3/e beside them, Sonoko hardly knew these students, even though she was an important person in the class. At first sight quiet Iyona Tsumura (girls, #19) fulfilled this impression, just like the main worldling, Ayami Horigoshi (girls, #17). Fuyuki philanders her ever since she put her foot on the classroom of the 3/e.

Which month did they come? Who can remember?

All in different times. Fukashi Tenzai (boys, #16) for example only changed class from 3/a, nobody knows why. Anyway Sonia Tenzai likes the idea and not only her, Fukashi is happy, too to finally be in the same class. It was quite difficult to talk, while three other girl wanted to go out with him. It is also funny that they have the same surname. Yes, they were born to each other.

Sonoko knew about Michio Otomo (boys, #13) only that, he is Ayami Horigoshi's stepbrother. Both of their parents divorced and Ayami's father got together with Michio's mother. Last but not least about the Ryusaki-twins, Kinji (boys, #14) and Riki (boys, #15) even the form teacher knows only that they are twins. They aren't as like as two peas: Kinji has splayed, prominent, bushy hair and longish face, while his brother has short, stylish hair left a little longer by his neck and a simple, silver earring in his left ear. Wearing earrings in the left ear has become great style between boys, never mind what sort of earring is it.

Sonoko on the model of that worn a silver Nike logo in her left ear. If she is already kept to a boyish girl, don't do it baseless. Returning to the twins, they keep quiet all along the lessons, they do nothing bad in breaks either, that was only odd, that they hardly say any word. When someone ask them, they give the reply in one or two words, it seemed, that they can communicate with each other through their thoughts. Or how else could they what the other wants? From the meaningless eyes? Just kidding, right? Kirika, Amika and a large group of girl fanatics gave up the lovemaking, because the boys didn't ever show to be interested in females (or in worst case males).

Do they feel something?

One look was enough for Sonoko to have a bad, mysterious feeling every time he looked at any Ryusaki. They can have guilty past or something. For sure, something is wrong with them. She couldn't tell the reason she thought it. Only felt.

And she felt something else, tiredness. She was restless, wanted to do more than staring out on the window and thinking about these sh*ts. What would happen if, let's see... she would continue one of her novels in her mind? She likes writing novels very much, as long as possible, but often it is the problem. Whereof she finished the half of one, will be weary of the writing and leave the matter open. Sometimes come into her mind, it would be good if she could continue her novels, the reply come in no time: 'Why? Only Rumiko will read them. Plus... I don't feel like it.'

The initial enthusiasm slowly will had gone and finally the idea of finishing the story remains really a thought.

Sonoko thought about the boy, Shinji again, who is in the 2/e. In fact Sonoko should belong with that class, too but she started school a year earlier, because she could read and write at the age of three. The first "novel" of her was born in these times anyway. Therefore, she is the youngest in the 3/e, Baku Baisotei is roundly one year older than she, by chance they were born in the same month on the same day.

In words this Shinji appeals to Sonoko, not only because they both love to play football, Shinji is almost as tall as her (nearly 165 cm) and well ... he's so hot.

And as she watched him the past years, discovered more and more similarities among them. Once, in a boring study-afternoon, they talked about that, which boy fits with them. Sonia and the others immediately said Shinji's name. Then it's no casual.

Although this love-thing is not her cup of tea, she didn't care at all one year ago, but now she began to feel, she should change her life...

[1] Hungarian meaning of the „drink themselves blind" expression

[2] everyone called Dan with English pronunciation. /dan/


	2. Chapter 1: Are we there yet?

**Battle Comrade: The Soviet Project chapter 1**

**The real story begins in the next chapter. Please rewiev about everything, no matter if it is good or bad.**

After a long unconsciousness Sonoko woke up.

She felt that she slept at least two weeks, her head were buzzing and ached in every limb. It was a weird dream. Couldn't remember what was it about, the events of the last hours swirled in her head. She shook her head to wake up completely then realised, that they are in their classroom.

She straightened up quickly in her chair, for fear of that the teacher noticed her sleeping. She's always feared that one day will fell asleep on a boring lesson. It has already happened with Yaeka (usually sat next to Sonoko on the right side, Nana on the left) more than once. Therefore, if she was tired and had no strength to take notes, started to draw into the edge of the notebook (some of her notebooks can be proudly called painting books). But now she was asleep. 'Hope, nobody noticed it.'

'But where is the teacher? And why the others are sleeping?'

Everyone took his/her place in three-handed desks ordered into two coloumn. Next to Sonoko in the middle was sitting Rumiko, laid her head on the desk. Sonia was in her other side. The room was in total silence, olny 35 other students were sleeping placid and calm. Something's wrong with this whole thing. But ... the teacher's desk in its place, the large blackboard as well as the curtains on the windows... everything like before.

'So what?'

Soon she found out the first upsetting answer. She felt like she had pins and needles in her neck, so touched it and gasped for breath from the astonishment. There was something, something pretty cold and hard thing in her neck. That thing... looks like... maybe...

'Can it be? A collar? Like my dog's, Alice's?'

Rumiko had one, Sonia as well and Sonoko discovered on everyone else a strong, massive silver strap.

'What is this for? Knowing that there is around my neck ... breathing is already more difficult ... and I can't remove...'

The collar stirred a little as she tried to take down, but nothing else really happened. Cool. Somewhere, somehow they all became dogs.

It looked absolutley to her like they were in a horror story. 'There's one I've already read... called Battle Royale ... I guess ... Yes, when a class joins battle with each other to the last ditch... but why are we here?'

Suddenly the door opened with a loud thud and a short-haired, sad-eyed figure entered the classroom. He was wearing blue suit and gray pants. Three soldiers marched in behind him, left-right-left-right ... they stepped together, then stopped quickly and after a "face left!" drew back to the corner. They had fatigues on , the colour of their clothes were vary from the the leader's, so the four stranger were very freaky at the very first moment. It was even the slightest problem though, Sonoko wished she could but see hundreds of non-matched outfits (just take a look at her garderobe: a baby-blue Keyo top combined with a T-Shirt with the famous rockband, Guns'n Roses on it.), just to wait for the unknown future it was waiting for the whole 3/e.

While she had all these on the brain, the others woke up, everyone lifted up their head from the stinking desks. The leader noticed the squirm and stopped cleaning his nails with the rim of a thin paper sheet. Looked up, got down from the teacher's desk and had a look around at the confused students. He smiled and simply said:

"Battle Royale, let us the fight begin!"

He has just said aloud, everybody heeled the chairs and brought out some kind of weapon aimed at someone in random. The next few minutes were more terrifying than hell: cries, clash of arms, noise of breaking desks - these sounds filled out the room. There was a huge amount of blood in every corner, rendered the cream-painted walls into red.

Sonoko stood up to find a way out from this living chaos as soon as she can. She just got a peep of the door on her right hand (the door was also cream-painted, camouflaged in the wall) began to run. She was so much in a hurry, that almost fell over herself in a body covered in blood. One of her classmates is already dead. And soon the others will be dead, too. But she didn't care anymore. Just to reach that f*cking door-knob!

Unfortunately, she didn't caught it, because someone pulled her away from the door, from the path of escape.

That someone looked deeply into Sonoko's eye to grin into her face for the last time, before he kill her.  
And who was the boy who faced Sonoko? Riki Ryusaki.

BOOM! A monstrous roar shook the classroom.  
The classroom? And why does this room jolting? What makes this roaring sound?  
Sonoko narrowly opened her eyes. She couldn't do it altogether, because some kind of brightness flustered them. She rose up her hand to cover her brow, now she could see ton better.

Rumiko stopped eating while she were looking at Sonoko:  
"Did you see? Leon kissed her!" said angrily.  
"Who? What?" she moaned with dry throat.

She needed some time coming to herself again. She felt like a guzzler, who drink herself blind, but she hasn't drink any booze since the last training camp. That was a great fun, Shinji Kudo was also there...

"Haven't you see? That she-wolf Angelina couldn't breath underwater and Leon helped her by kissing!" said Rumiko still watching the movie on the large-screen television of the bus.

As everyone else. Sonoko straightened up in her seat and saw that the whole class were watching Resident Evil: Degeneration, the new blockbuster movie.  
"Oh, that?"

Yeah, maybe another class would watch a twee romantic film or a comedy, but for them horror kicks ass. Maybe people set them down a weirdie class not baseless.  
'Everyone likes horror here. I wonder, what would they say to a Battle Royale. The second movie also came out for ages. Apropos, BR...'

Sonoko remembered the strange dream. She dreamed about exactly the Battle Royale. She couldn't tell how much she releaved that it was just a dream. But her mind remained still anxious. She had an evil foreboding.

But why did she dream like that? Could it be because of the book? They were just set out for the excursion, Sonoko had immediately brought out "the" book to take pride in it to Rumiko. Who could have Battle Royale, could account his or herself lucky. Why? The book, BR was pronounced taboo by the government (the government i.e., the Imperial Leadership - people still used to say so, this naming subsisted from the times of Republic), because the story is about Japan or rather the Republic of Greater East Asia and according to the author, its chief leaders are extraordinarily dishonest, brutal murderers, so this empire is unbeseeming to compare with the glorious Empire of the Rising Sun. Pity or not, it is always the good and interesting, what is forbidden, so everyone wants to have things, which are hard to obtain. Sonoko has her copy via his uncle, and she had kept it with great care until now. She saved up for that up three months because she knows the golden rule, that everything in the black market costs twice many as usual.

The book was Sonoko's secret, but she wanted to show it to Rumiko. Only for her, no any other person.

When they had read the back cover, the summary of the story, made sure that they will start reading it as soon as they can. They'll take turns at doing during the travelling and if one of them reads, the other will watch, not to came across by somebody. Of course, at the beginning of the journey it was too dangerous, because all the students had been in big excitement and gone often to their friend's seat. It had not been worth the risk. Thus, they had toyed with the idea, what would have been if their class had to fight such a Battle Royale match. They had made that only just for fun, but taking part in a real battle - that's not the same.

And so Sonoko went back on her reckless words, that she would try such a Project.

'Yeah' she smiled 'it was a sign from my guardian angel, how irresponsible I was.'

While she was sitting back into her place, which can be called anything just not comfortable - what is more: Etsumi Inukai and Yurisa Akera kept going to kick her and Rumiko's seat with great joy, was on the point to look after her headset. Probably she has lost it while she were sleeping. But Sonoko has found them soon and decided not to watch the Resident Evil, prefer listening to music ...

Every student believed that travelling by plane is far better than by bus. True, at first they all had a freaky felling in their stomach, as if it'd fall down into their legs. Most of the teenagers felt that, because they were on board at the first time. Except Fuyuki Egami perhaps, whose father is a doctor, so they can travel quite often. The root of the matter that travelling by plane can be more entertaining. Moreover, here can be slept. The circa eight-hour bus trip and the two-hour waiting for at the flight to London got the class tired.

But the Osaka-London flight of the Japan Airlines was successfully boarded and probably the whole flying time will be 4-6 hours long.

All the boys and girls talked about the same thing at the beginning of the flying. A rumour took wind among them that a bus had been transported from the Empire to England two months ago (similar to that coach they had been coming with) and whereupon they will arrive, the bus will be waiting for them at the London Airport. Very interesting. It would be easier to rent one, or not? The teachers said onto this, that it's more practical because you don't have to rent bus on every side, you can go with your own wherever you want.

More practical? Maybe, but no doubt it is more expensive. 'So that's why we won't stop anywhere between London and Barnstaple (maybe then if someone wants to go to the toilet, otherwise this travel will be a little smelly).' What a waste of time! They won't do anything on that forenoon, just sitting again.

The next interesting talk was about the guest-families. Everyone searched his/her name on the list, at which family which student will be accommodated. The school begun organizing this excursion since the beginning of the year, and the class had to fill in a questionnaire to know, which guest-family should accommodate certain people. That was important to prevent any concern, for example it's very sticky if a fur allergic person has to live at a dog-fancier family.

Sonoko hoped, she and Rumiko will be in good hands, wherever they get (they will be accommodated in groups of two or three). She would gladly written into her questionnaire, that she is only allergic to the plaza b*tches, but prefer not, that'd be a very naff introduction.

"Maybe travelling by plane is not so cool as I thought before." she said wearily, while she was resting her palm under her chin.

Rumiko looked questioningly at her.

"Just the blue sky and clouds everywhere." said Sonoko again.

"I think that's why it's so beautiful. Humanity can't harm it."

"And these oldies... they drive me crazy."

"Er..."

They looked around bemused. On the four-seats were sitting mainly oldies or people over their 50's. It is not enough that they always swarm busses, because they are retired and have many free times (and the bus tickets are free for them) - they are on the plane already. They want to sleep, so Sonoko and Rumiko neither can't watch TV nor listening to their OWN mp3 player. According to the oldies, it sounds too loudly. But who enjoys listening to music on the 6th volume?

'Why do they sleep so much? They will have plenty of time in the coffin... Ok, that was rude. But I won't take it back.'

Sonoko laughed from ear to ear. Then stopped it immediately.

Meitetsu Numai approached among the rows of seats. The members of the class was very far from one another because they had got tickets only in that way, therefore the accompanying-teachers thought, that the kids will push an advantage and drink like fish in secret. Well, not without reason.

"Look out, Rumiko! Numai's coming!" Sonoko cried a little louder she should, with that movement she alarmed a few sleeping grandma.

Rumiko immediately caught up her head and put the BR beneath her botty, so Mr. Meitetsu has just seen that the two girls laughed heartily. It doesn't appeal to him why do they were laughing. Girls usually laugh at any nothingness. Meanwhile, the teacher got by them unartfully like a phantom. His eyes scanned the seats like a laser beam, but alas! He found none he could punish.

'You will be pleased, won't you? If you could detect someone, you bastard!'

All the students in the Junior High School, even a several teachers reckons Mr. Meitetsu Numai as a sucker, but he is good at sh*tting on kids, who break the rules. He is the head of the student hostel of the high school and the school director's back-scratcher. That's why he can do anything and because of Mr. Meitetsu, they got the sack to the previous hostel director, Mr. Waki Kobayashi. He was that person, who wanted the best for the students in life. By the "structure-turnout" (collegians used to say that on the times Meitetsu came to the school), things went to the other extreme. The hours of slackness expired. And what is more, this man take the students for babies, as they were in a kindergarten. But if he finds someone doing illegal things, he comes up with these stupid doublespeak:

"You are already adults! How could you do that? It is all your responsibility from now!"

Only in this case. Anyway he looks down on everybody. No, thanks!

'By the way, why does he come with us? He can't speak English a bloody word! The words "yes" or "no" are no longer only English vocables, Japanese use them, too instead of "hai" and "iie" all over the Empire.'

Sonoko turned angrily toward the window. She could easily put herself into a passion with her own thoughts. Rather let it pass!

BTW, let's talk about the non-English speakers: the hostel-form teacher of the 3/e, why has Suzuna Kentaro (has the same surname as Amika) come with them? What the hell does she want in England? Only being their babysitter? Sonoko couldn't imagine any other reason. Sure, that's why Miss Kentaro came, she hates every form of entertaining. People can see her smile, when... when... never. But what kind of past she had... she were brought up by nuns, so she is very dutiful and rather die, only to fulfil her duty. And such a "workaholic" woman have been the hostel-form teacher of the greatest bum class of the universe.

' Mrs. Izumi Kasuse would fit much better with us, but we had to flunk back a year, she is the happy owner of the 2/e.'

Even though, Mrs. Teruna Fujinami is an English teacher, she doesn't teach them, only Mrs. Sara Akamatsu does. She teaches the first English group but can't do this normally or discipline at all, in vain she is a damn (wo)man of brains. Unfortunately, it makes no sense that she tells them about her dog, Sam round the clock.

So, these are the dirty-four, the elite of the accompanists.

A chill came over Rumiko, Sonoko woke out of her thoughts.

They thought Numai was coming back again. Instead of him the flight attendant came by and stopped near the girls with the buffet car. She turned unto the passengers on the other side of the row and gave Fukashi Murata (boys, #7) a sandwich, which was now at least his tenth order.

"Thank you." he said, and the money and the sandwich changed hands.

" It was you who paid so why did you thank?" next to Fukashi, sat Isato Okumura (boys, #9).

He saw that the girls near at hand laughing aloud. He was satisfied with the quirk he has just said.

Yeah, money. The course of exchange of yen is fairly high compared with war actualities. And it is on the rise. Only skeptics iterate the inflation on the news, but it won't due to happen before long. Prices have risen a bit, and the choice of goods isn't so rich either as before because the best quality products are transported into the front lines. Isn't the population of the Empire self-sacrificing?

'For real. We are directly going to bell the cat. Or the blue eagle?'

The blue eagle is the symbol of the Allies. Although this excursion betokens Emperor Yoshiro's will for peace, actually he had started the war. His father was simply a politician, but Yoshiro dubbed himself Emperor, after "accidentally" discovered common affinity with the ancestors of the greatest monarchs. He was very succesful as an emperor thanks to his son, Crown Prince Tatsu and the construction of the Floating Fortress, a really monstrous swimming-base, which could be moved to any corner of the world, where the surface is covered with water, and sure there's enough space. Japan's military success lies in that. Until the communist-minded Soviet Republic and the USA-centric Allies co-operate against the "common enemy" in order to negotiate. The Emperor and the leading preferred to sign truce, because too many brave patriots died in battles.

It would be but true! Everyone could see, the Empire of the Rising Sun is weakened, can't hold out too long against the Soviet-Allies alliance. It is a small island-country after all with some archipelago colonies. All the other nations are their enemies, which don't yield to the Empire.

Sonoko'd love to read, what does the popular newspaper called Yomiuri Shimbun say about that topic - the school also subscribed to it, Nichie Shiomi and Benika Hoshino (girls, #11, #3) are the most enthusiastic readership from 3/e, there can be found always a copy in their pocket. Sonoko is only used to do the crosswords or read the horoscope (Nana made pun and named it "stroboscope") with her closest friends: Nana, Midori, Sonia and Rumiko.

The rest of the dayflight was calmer the students stayed in their place and talked only with their neighbours. At least they didn't disturbed the oldies.

By the time the plane has landed on the London airport, the class got ready to become acquainted with this brand new country. They were all excited and looking forward to see more than hurrying people in a crowd. It wasn't odd anymore, they just wanted to see anything else. For the present, the speech of the wayfaring folk meant something new, everywhere, everyone used English as their main language. Wow, we are really in Great Britain! Yay!

Mrs. Sara Akamatsu led the class on a less busy corner with the help of Mr. Meitetsu Numai not far from the airport building. They did not want to wait at the bus in spotlight, because the British stared at them without any shame and pointed at them: 'Look, a group from the enemy!' The really butts showed up their "f*ckyou" fingers and pelted them with abuses.

"What are we waiting for?" asked a boy from the ends of the group.

Sonoko recognized Goushi Kakutama's voice.

Teacher Sara would like to give the answer but Mrs. Fujinami said officiously before her:

"For the bus, my dear."

"I am not your dear." Goushi muttered quietly , but the others in the front could hear it, because everyone started laughing. Only Mrs. Fujinami didn't give any sign whether she had heard or not.

The teachers were waiting in silence, the teenagers continued the cheerful chatting as usual. Ayami was philandered by Fuyuki, Kirika by Michio Otomo, as usual. The rest of the class stand apart from one another by cliques.

Can't tell how much time has passed since they were waiting at the coach, when Sonoko noticed something interesting. She were lying on the ground, just like everyone else. Norito Royama was next to her, but he entertained Anri Souma moments ago. What happened?

She felt very tired and also had a ringing and throbbing feeling in her head. Just like she would have been knocked down with a baseball bat. Her limbs cramped by something, she couldn't remember. OMG, why is she so exhausted? Someone drained all her strength! She couldn't stand up or sink on her knees, even lift up her head. But she saw the others, they were also scattered around on the ground, lying unconscious . It seemed like after a hit raid in the Middle Age.

Cool. King Arthur tried the power of the legendary Excalibur on it an honour, class! It would never happen again in your life!

Suddenly she caught sight of yellow cordons in the background, behind them, curious people gathered together but some men in fatigues - obviously soldiers, they bear arms - kept them out. And those who kept guard on this inner side dressed in suit of armour, they could be members of some _special corps_[1].

Sonoko was so washed-out, that she could see sharp less far than usual. She could see Yamato Chiba's face (boys, #2) dimly on her other side.

She wondered about what does these people want from them? What did they do? These soldiers let them lying on the ground under the public eye. Thousands of people, the whole airport can see them. The thing is that the superpowers signed truce, or not? They came right to better the hostility among the superpowers! Someone hadn't been informed about this?

'What would happen if you didn't ask so much? My head got sore.'

These were Sonoko's last thoughts, she fell into a deep sleep, her head fell lifeless on his arm. Her right hand slid down to the thigh and stuck in a small-sized whatsit, it was a syringe projectile. If she had noticed this she would have realized some questions she asked herself before.

And to top it all, if she remained awake for at least a minute she would see more startlers. Beside the armoured troops there were other men walking in red jacket, with Kalashnikov in their hands. On their shell-jackets, there could be seen the symbol of the Soviet Union, the dark red-yellow crest so-called sickle and hammer. The crest of that Soviet Union, whose Premier absolutely stood against the peace conference.

**[1] Yeah, they were Peacekeepers.**


	3. Chapter 2: Nightmare

**Chapter 2**

* * *

When Sonoko came to her senses, she thought she was still lying in the airport, inside the cordoned-up area. In any way soever, the floor, the ground - or what do we call it - was still as cold as she first woke up. It seemed that the others were lying on the same place with same position, spread legs and arms.

Sonoko recovered herself in a minute and was no longer tired. She didn't have a headache neither, she could also move her limbs easily. Only there was something in her thigh, a red fleck, showed like a mosquito-bite. She couldn't imagine how the heck she could have it. It was the streak of the syringe projectile, but it had been removed already, so the 36 student hadn't got the foggiest idea, how they were kidnapped. Sonoko sat up, stretched her legs and put the palms on them. In the end she looked around.

It wasn't so simple. She didn't saw well in the cold, dark room, even if she strained her eyes. The solid concrete-walls gave the impressions like some abandoned warehouse and the wicket-doors showed also nothing promising. On the left side, there was a tight window covered with aluminum plate, so Sonoko couldn't set out the current time of day. Is it daytime? Or nighttime? For that matter beyond the window, there was another room, slim trail of light filtered through from there. It lightened mainly the dirty floor but Sonoko saw the two Ryusaki's face in the shadows.

They also were awake. The others were still sleeping, they had not got the remotest conception, that they were kidnapped at the airport. Kinji got so bored, that he started to play with a fly. He let it go from his hand, but after a little while caught it again as quick as lightning. He repeated this game time and time again, but in the end, had a hold over the fly again. Kinji had astonishing reflexes.

Sonoko has forgotten everything for a few seconds, she found herself staring at the "production". Then she shook her head in embarrassment to compose her thoughts, after that she swept Riki. The boy sat calmly in his place, recrossed his arms and eyed somebody without any shame all the time.

Hey, what time is it, anyway?

Sonoko touched the pocket of her skirt immediately, where usually kept her moby (a Nokia one, Finnish product i.e. a phone manufactured by the Allies. When she got it for Christmas years ago, there haven't been too heavy conflicts among the superpowers and cross nations could deal in goods in limited quantity. Unfortunately, nowadays it is forbidden. And those people, who had such "technologically degenerate" things (the governance of the Empire called thus all the non-home products) from the pre-war years, had to transmit them compulsively by local dumps. Sonoko hadn't done this, but no one minds the failure since the real war broke out.)

At the moment it was useless to hunt for that Nokia phone in her pocket, because it has gone. She and all her classmates were went through their pockets... and who knows what else they did while they were unconscious. Those sh*theads!

_'If the have done something nasty, I'll kill them all and hang their bodies to the upraised arm of the Premier's statue! I swear it, I'm going to do! I don't care how! I will kill them!'_

Okay, she prefers to relinquish the idea and get these minds out of her head. Yes, since Persil or Vanish - these Allied-made "wonder substances" – had been banned, her imagination would have a bit dirty from the cheap but poor quality (but the opposite stated) inland washing powders...

The current time is... wait a sec... can I remind you, that this watch is losing? It is daylight-saving time now, you should retool it. It ought to have been done for two months...

Gee! Sonoko realized that she had a modern, nice looking but a bit boyish watch in her right wrist. Oh, sure, there is another zonal time in England and the variance of time is not only one or two hours. So, it is really 10:24, P.M Ten in the evening.

Not really pondered on that, why did she have that watch along, only made it true on her wrist. Nothing else. It's getting late, but after an all-day travelling, sleeping and being in captivity, she felt relatively rested. Now, the time has come to do something. Sonoko didn't know herself as a kind of slacker, so she stood up to have a look around in this scary place. Or we can say it more soldierish: "to see how the land lies."

„What do you think you are doing?" suddenly a strong, male voice clanged somewhere from a corner of the room. It didn't sound like any other voice she bunkered in her tone-memory. She turned round in a haste and caught sight of the mysterious stranger. She has never seen him before.

The man in grey service-uniform stepped out from the cover of darkness, still glared by Riki as it was out later on. This geezer has been standing here all along and waiting for the class to awaken - Riki knew that exactly, that's why he listened to something so far. That "something" was the outsider.

The man opened his mouth to speak again, but he rather didn't say a single word. Instead of that he took a deep breath and continued waiting, because the students began to wake up. More and more sleepy faces popped up from the ground and everyone looked round uncomprehendingly with distracted look. The class was mainly in silence, but some of them whispered together. No one could understand, what happened.

The stranger finally put an end to the darkness in the warehouse looking room. He went up to the wall, then snicked on the lights, whereof dozens of plat shades lighted up on the ceiling.

„Great, everyone is up." said as he strolled about and clasped his hands on the back.

Sonoko realized, that he was speaking in English when Asuya Fukuda (boys, #12) asked her:

„You, Sonoko. Translate, please, I don't understand too much."

This wasn't so only in Asuya's case, more of the kids asked for those person's help, who already have been English language exam (for example: Goushi (boys, #5), Yaeka (girls, #13), Dan (boys, #8) or Ben (boys, #10)). They tried to do their best by the translation.

„I am Nikolai Moskvin" everyone understood that.

The guy called himself Moskvin, finally introduced himself. He continued strolling around the room at an easy pace, sometimes looked on somebody and smiled from ear to ear. That's why he turned away numbers of times.

Who knows what did he have on the brain? Maybe: "It was a pleasure to rape you." or he may smiled at the ominous events which were the class waiting for. Because he could fiddle with the 3/e at his own pleasure - he is the native and they are hostages, at the mercy of that Moskvin-dude.

He has a very familiar name otherwise. No sooner than Sonoko bethought herself on that, found out why. Of course! This man in his thirties, who has short brown and gray hair, this was in the TV! The Empire of the Rising Sun provided that all its folk would know the enemy vice versa, if it has to. How many times were good action films interrupted to telecast short guides about any leader of the Allies or Soviets.

The "Social Purpose Notice" about Nikolai Moskvin said so:

_'Nikolai Moskvin, Soviet Commander. However, regardless of his mood, his strategies are bound to be aggressive. This unstable Commander regards the Allies and the Japanese as fools and crazy people but holds special valors for all of his loyal brothers.'_

It was about that... or something similar... So the root of the matter is, that it was no student or resident in the Empire, who has never heard about that Moskvin. This man is a nut, a madman, it wouldn't be good idea to pick up a quarrel with him.

The others recognized him as fast as Sonoko, almost every face blenched with terror in no time. This catching effect and the presence of this admitted, dangerous soviet leader made Sonoko also scared. She felt frightened better and better. She looked for Rumiko (girls, #9) with her look and found out, that Rumiko was also searching for her. When they both caught sight of each other and their eyes met, they could only see perplexity in each other's face. Rumiko shrugged the shoulders a bit as a sign of that.

„Everybody is awaken?" asked Moskvin with fulsome voice. This kind of tone mainly doesn't bode well by anyone. A chill came over many students because of the over-complaisance. Sure, it was over-complaisance in this situation! It was that on the surface. But no one gave answer to Moskvin.

„Brilliant! Silence gives consent, so let's start!" he spread his arms wide in a friendly way (in this case it was dreadfully to the class), turned his back on the kids and while he were setting out for the other end of the room, dove into his pocket.

„Once again, my name is Nikolai Moskvin! I'd better chalk up my name, maybe if you can't speak English but I think you are okay with reading. I hope no one has reading-problems in high school." he laughed loudly at his own joke, like one of the history teachers in the 4. No. Zentsuji Junior High School. But nobody laughed together with Moskvin this time (not that somebody would laugh at that teacher's joke otherwise). This blue joke was out of place. Totally.

Sonoko understood only a half of it, but got the point and translated to Asuya as good as she could. Anyway, Asuya had the problem with reading and writing up to this day (he had an alexia, or what is it called).

The commander chalked up his name onto the wall not only in European writing, he did it with Cyrillic and Japanese script as well. Help yourself, class! You can take your choice!

Moskvin stopped laughing, the sudden coming silence was embarrassing. Soon after he cleared his throat, put his medals straight in his coat and finally looked around with a sly smile . He stood alone, as a priest ahead of his blessed followings. He enjoyed conspicuously looking at the distressed students.

„We should be on a school trip, shouldn't we? What the fu ... hell we are doing here?" Dan broke the silence. His voice sounded as determined and smart as always.

He was sitting bestridden as usual, with recrossed arms just like Riki, as calm as possible and stared at Moskvin without a wink of the eyelid. The way Dan spoke was equally phlegmatic, like Amika's, he told in any situation what was in his mind and has never minced matters. But even more roughly way than Amika, he did not ignore the dirty speech in the presence of teachers either. Therefore, Dan earned all the teachers dislike in the Junior High School, even though, that sometimes he was right sometimes.

A few other of his mates immediately acclaimed his pretentious question. The next surprise seemed weird for the kids. Although Moskvin didn't respond to them in Japanese, but seemed to understand the language.

Suddenly everyone started to speak at the same time, all of them were talking excitedly. Most of the people rose a ton of questions, but there were boys and girls who kept quiet. For example, the twins. Riki and Kinji were staring at the commander with poker-face all along, in a bland way, what makes people easily nervous. It seemed they had no interest in this whole mystery at all.

Sonoko took back her eyes, and saw that Rumiko was looking at her again, as if she might could give her a good answer.

Moskvin suddenly said:

„ In reply to your friend's question, I am going to tell you, why are you here and not in your class trip." then had a short pause to increase the excitement „so we brought you here because you are our hostages."

The 3/e answered him with stunned silence. Did they hear it clearly? The atmosphere has been frozen, but it was already cold there. A fly was hurtling continuously buzzing into the glossy globes, that told only of the continuity of time. So Kinji let it escape...

Thumbs up! Medusa-Moskvin turned everybody into stone. No, he smiled from ear to ear at the sight of all the scared to death faces.

He is just kidding, isn't he? It's just a horrible dream, yes?

Some students began to pluck at their arms, they still couldn't believe this sh*t. Sonoko also wanted to take it for a dream and wake up from this nightmare, but after her dream about Battle Royale, she expected this as the stubborn facts.

Yeah, BR! She touched immediately her neck and was relieved by knowing the thing, that she didn't have such silver collars like the children in the story. How on earth do these idiots want to keep tabs on the battle then? If this really is a Battle Royale Project?

_'Wait a sec, girl, what are you thinking! Who said that we are going to play such a "game"? It was just a dream on the bus. A warning onto this completely different kind of danger.'_

Nikolai Moskvin started to dwell on something, but was more strained and impatient as before:

„I'm sure you ask yourselves, wasn't there any ceasefire between our nations? True it was, but there is a little TROUBLE!" he raised his voice by the last word and snapped loudly at Kirika (girls, #5) and Fuyumi (girls, #7), who were chatting parallel with him. The two girls were so scared then, that they screamed like a soprano choir.

"NO! SPEECH! UNTIL I ALLOW IT!" he shouted forcefully. From the mimicry, the accent and other movements he took, the weak-minded ones (who can't speak English well) also understood the main point: shut up!

Moskvin held:

„Alas, but there will be no peace negotiation" said with the talent of an actor „Emperor Yoshiro was very kind and take us for an idiot! What did he think? Won't we notice, that there was a large-effective ranged bomb integrated into your bus? You tried to blow up our dock, exactly where the vehicle was transported." he hissed more like a snake, his eyes filled with sparks of anger.

„But the bomb failed and exploded earlier. The explosion managed to set the entire fleet to fire in the port! Your journey was only an excuse, you don't want any peace, you just wanted to weaken our forces!" in the end he totally bent out of shape to himself.

„Yes, they played with you." thereafter he spoke in his smarmy voice again, and scanned his audience with thinly narrowed eyes „your own state considered you like a toy! Then we will do not treat you differently."

He laughed loudly in hysterical tamber, within this time the language exam-havers translated his words for their mates. Of course, many of the students haven't heard a bloody word from that, because of the shock. It was like a listening exercise... Did you understand? Fine, you have passed the intermediate English language exam then!

Whatever people can say, this is not a matter of patriotism: but who would do such a dishonour thing with minor students? Sonoko didn't esteem herself someone who is loyal to the Emperor or wouldn't die for emperor and country (as it is in the text of the rewritten anthem), but still she was far from believing all that Moskvin said.

The soviets may wanted to trade them down the river. The enemy is right out to foul them up, so they will take one other's life light-heartedly.

_'Oh, no, not again that damn BR! Why did it come back to me again? Why do I have a thinking that my dream on the bus was about this on purpose?'_

Okay, they had been kidnapped - it's a thing. But it doesn't mean that they have to take part in a killing game. This whole mess stinks. Why is it occurs exactly with her class if in the Empire of the Rising Sun lives another 130 million people? And this number doesn't include the population number of the peripheries and the conquest archipelago-territories. The horror novel she came by didn't chivy her about. _You asked for it, girl! You wished for it! To hell with this whole situation... with this whole war-thing... and also with Emperor Yoshiro..._

„And how do you want to play with us anyway? Let us kill one another sounded Dan's sarcastic question.

„Don't give him ideas, okay?" Rena put her hand frightened up his mouth.

Sonoko knew the answer.

„Seriously ..." someone said behind her.

„No kid." came the reply with the speed of an E-Mail.

How did she guess? Do you know Sonoko Kuroki fortune-teller? She will tell in advance, what is going to happen with you. See? Now you are looking puzzled, she knew that. By the way, she discovered her vision skills by predicting the battle of the 3/e on their journey in England. Haven't you know?

Baku Shoda's question returned her back to reality:

„What the heck is that?"

Sonoko was flabbergasted as she realized the book in Moskvin hands called Battle Royale (by Koushun Takami). One and the same, which she got through her uncle.

'_He's got mine. Its rim is also torn. How could he have it?'_

The soviet leader waved the black and white coloured book once or twice (the title showed up with garish red letters) then began to read aloud its backboard:

"Battle Royale, there's something even worse than school... in a dictatorial Far Eastern country the state leaders devise a cruel experiment: 42 high school students were forcing to fight a battle against one other on a deserted island ... they can use all kind of weapons without limits... it will be only one survivor: THE WINNER ... "

„Sounds exciting, huh?" he changed his voice to jovial tone „I have found it by luck on the checking of your belongings and kept myself, because you don't need to have your stuffs anymore. I had read the back cover, and liked the idea. Why not? You could also fight one other! Splendid idea, yes? So you won't be bored, and we'll have great fun as well! But I can tell you something funnier: your own fellow will cause your downfall with his egregious ideas. He imagined, we are going to carry it into execution, haha!"

Sonoko turned red. That chastening was not only the one artificer of her shame. The other one is... Come on, she had broken the rules only once, but that cost them their life. This guy can't be serious. Sonoko wished the slitting on the book couldn't be but on it. She could say then, it is not hers. No doubt, it is there and if she checked it a bit more carefully, she could see, that Moskvin kept on tearing the book cover.

She looked round in embarrassment. She was afraid of looking into the other's eye, as if there would be written something on her face in large, flashy letters: IT IS MY BOOK!

She felt herself almost so terrible, when Norito Royama (boys, #6) didn't leave her alone once and then she said to him something dirty about his mother. His mother died about a year ago, so it was very rude from Sonoko, but she didn't want to say that, she said from huffiness. Then she immediately apologized, because she didn't want him to be hurt. Norito said, he wasn't angry, but what is done cannot be undone. Even worse, on the same day Chisato said similar things for the boy, but it didn't come to her mind, that Norito's mother doesn't live anymore. Sonoko didn't want to resemble Chisato.

Here, thing went even worse, the blame will fall on her if they all will die here. She was sized with great compunction, put her face out of sight behind her long hair. She began to hate herself. She probably didn't heard the outraged questions of the 3/e - they clamoured for the answer: whose is the book - because she only picked up on Moskvin's voice.

And her classmate's further fulmination, grumbling and more puzzled questions. Baku Baisotei (boys, #1) was the loudest in the group, it called to the mind the PE lessons in school. She always played football with the guys, but she was out of training on these days, and Baku Baisotei was the boy who usually cried her down.

„That's it, just hate them! It will be easier to finish them off! "said a voice in her thoughts.

That self of her, which has always feared from the excommunication. She was not having any of that! Others looked upon her as a child slow, weak, weepy and a crying baby. Her sister and the cousins had played on her and later two of her friends, too, who had been thought the best by Sonoko...

Meanwhile, Moskvin talked on, perhaps to blow the coals:

„I've read most of the story. Not bad, except the philosophical parts, those are totally quibbling. And the rules are simpler in the book. I've rewritten the script to be the fight faster and more will enjoy it, just wait and see! You can consider it as a kind of contest...

One half of the class still talked about, what Sonoko did by bringing the BR book onto the class trip. The others were angry with the kidnappers and Moskvin.

Yamato Chiba (boys, #2) stood up and shouted:

„What a sh*t! You mustn't hurt us, our leaders made an agreement!" there was a light quaver in his voice.

„Who has guaranteed your safety? The Allies, not the Soviet Republic! But we can move in our free will among the territories of the Allies and ours because of the alliance, so they have no voice in what we are doing with you in their land."

„So, that was the trick..."

„Trick? Hm... if you call that so... we term it bilateral trust fair field and no favour... so let's talk turkey!" the commander turned his back on the "audience" and headed toward an enchained door. He suddenly stopped like a streak of lightning.

„Ah, it can wait awhile said rather to himself while he was patted with his right hand „they will be needed later..."

It didn't turn out, to whom and when he was speaking about and even the bravest students daren't to ask (or they hadn't got enough English education) him about that. This dude is all right only when he keeps quiet and do nothing. There can be nothing wrong then.

Moskvin was totally surprised for the sounds coming from behind. He turned round quickly and saw Dan (boys, #8) on foot.

„Aren't you afraid of our class? Maybe you think, we are turd high school students, but according to my moderate math-knowledge, 36 is still more than one. We are in preponderance." Dan stand in recrossed arms.

Moskvin knitted the eyebrows, but didn't say anything. Dan was right, how did Moskvin want to defend himself by any chance the class attacks him? He pored over this subject or was just surprised on Dan's easy behaviour, but it could be also possible, that his chin itched, that's why he stroke it. Well, it is about time for shaving. Or is it no time for such things in the front line? The ambient noise level rose a bit again to cease right away, when they all realized the events of the next few seconds.

The commander took out a gun from one of his pockets - the kind of guns the security guards bear (who has a smattering of weapons, might have recognized a Röhm RG-725 type in Moskvin's hand) - and immediately fired into the mass of people. They had no time for intimidation, the events came all of a sudden.

Everyone sat in the deepest quiet in their place and stared with round eyes, when someone fell out of line and dropped down dead on the floor. By this time girls squalled in the highest frequency of their voice (maybe even the boys, too), there were only a few of them, who kept silence. Same as Sonoko, who didn't join the choir. She shielded the ears with her hands and waited for the scream to stop.

But the reaction of the band perked Moskvin up the more. One of their classmate is already dead. Sonoko had to stretch herself a bit more to find out who caught a pocket. Among the silently weeping and puling girls and scared to death boys, laid Fukashi Tenzai's (boys, #16) dead body. On his skull, more truly in the midst of the forehead, there was a red bleeding bullet-hole.

F*ck me! Fukashi is... truly killed, it's not a joke, they mean business! They take it seriously!

Sonoko actually didn't know him well, because the boy (everyone in school called him "Ferry" after a popular singer from the early 1970s) was always well-behaved and a bit shrinker - a true loner - but Sonoko got to know only just much, that at heart he was not bad and liked Sonia, as it was true vice versa... what's with Sonia after all he is gone for good and all? Sonoko rather didn't want to know.

She saw how the others tremblingly drew apart from the goner and kept staring him end to end. Someone aftermost dumped his or her load, therefore the straight smell of blood mixed with the smell of vomit. The putrid stink made the students heave, Sonoko also had her gorge.

Moskvin came up to the corpse, stepped upon its stomach, while he were looking around in full mirth.

„Calm down class, I let you alone, I've done this because this guy is a Tenzai." seeing the uncomprehending and scary looks, proceeded to explain „yeah, a Tenzai. I'm sure I don't have to introduce Kenji Tenzai to you, the famous commander of your land. I thought he's maybe a cousin or something... it would be even greater loss for the Empire. The great Kenji Tenzai's cousin or whoever died in disgraceful!"

Moskvin said the last sentence with play-off, as if he had given a reading for general public. The kids were less interested in Moskvin as he was having a good time, the main problem was, that this polecat can play with them on his liking and as Rumiko Ozawa and Chisato Ozawa had the same name, there was another Tenzai attended into the class 3/e. She was Sonia Tenzai, Rumiko's perhaps dearest friend.

All the student's blood run cold, everyone was waiting frightened for the sequel. Each one his own way. Because if Moskvin knows everyone's name, he probably had read the list of names and seen, that two people have the same surname (or wherever he red from). Of course, it didn't mean that these two is near of kin, but it makes no difference to such a literal-minded man.

The "such literal-minded man" sensed the change of the mood, because he shopped around in the room deep in thought. He left (maybe willfully) Sonia last and gazed at her especially long. The girl stood it without a word. After all, nothing happened, the commander returned to the middle of the room, so he came into prominence again.

„And now I'm going to tell you why I haven't begun to tremble with fear and piss my bed hearing Mr. Nomura's threatening words." he continued as if this little murder hadn't been an accomplished fact, his voice sounded like a friendly chat again:

„Here is the answer..."

He hardly said out, the globes on the ceiling started glowing and sparkling, then each fell down to the floor with big crash. This unexplained effect didn't vary from seeing UFOs, the youths got out of the way of the falling shades, jostled with one other to a safer place. Their fear was even greater when the smoke settled down and the unharmed globes reared up to their feet.

* * *

**The number of students: 35 persons**

**

* * *

****Fukashi Tenzai eliminated**


	4. Chapter 3: Starting up

***This is about the rules of the BC project - not the same as in BR! (Yeah, the events didn't start up yet. ^^") ***

**Chapter 3**

* * *

They didn't look like glass any longer, the whole things made of solid steel. Whatever they were. They seemed, that they were robots with spider legs- they might have been used as super secret military weapons as it was demonstrated by Moskvin's words:

„ Ain't they beautiful? These are the so-called Terror Drones, but we pet them 'Teddy' under the lap. You know, like Teddy Bears. But it wouldn't be advised to sleep with them nor to meet, because they are able to execute someone with a single attack. Whether it is a well trained soldier. Or rather they are programmed to tear the victims apart and of course they do it in the most painful way. They also like playing with the prey before killing." he said that with great gesticulation and short marks, so despite the poor knowledge of English everyone could translate the main things, they want to know.

Moreover the commander spoke about these creatures with so deep emotion as if they were his own pets. He was quite disappointed, leastwise Sonoko saw that as she looked at the man's face. In her opinion, the reaction of the class wasn't that reaction he expected. He waited for chaos, confusion and upheaval, but silence came instead of that. All the students stood transfixed with horror, many sullen-browed eyes filled with tears. Meanwhile, the Terror Drones crawled in the room far and wide in their small legs - from the floor to the ceiling, then back - the sharp end of the mechanical limbs, with which they used to attack, were knocking into the cold floor sounded like Morse codes. It is worth a pensiveness, that contradistinction to Moskvin's words, why don't the Terror Drones attack them. Perhaps at the moment they are programmed in this way.

That explains why there is no need for military custody, or some other solution to force the class to behave themselves, the soviets want to follow that through with the Terror Drone-monsters. These had put an end to the lowest level of whispering, the students could only think about their own life (everyone cast a sidelong glance onto the running Teddies) and of course had to listen what Moskvin was saying. Fatal error, the system crashed. Someone, PLEASE RESET!

Moskvin returned to his earlier message:

„As I've already said, your only task is to kill one another. You are now taking part in a game which is being organised to your honour and we threw good money after that, not to mention the preparation works... So I suggest you to do your best by killing your friends."

It could be read on many faces, 'thank you, the soviets shouldn't had to work that much for their sake, really', but their slightest fear was greater than setting up for that. They couldn't say a single word because of their dry throat.

„ Is there anyone who would like to get out of the game, and don't feel like carrying through?"

The question was completely innocent, there wasn't any anger, hatred or objection in Moskvin's tone. The 3 / e found it very suspicious after all, when the good English speakers translated the sentence for the others, many of the kids gathered their brows.

„ Well?" Moskvin was waiting for the answers innocently.

This is not good . In no wise. Who will rise its hand, he or she will be shot down for sure. Not to speak of, when those Terror things cut them up... that is equal to riding for a fall. That would be stupid ... but what if ... What if everyone raises hands as one man? Everyone will be executed? It wasn't worth all the trouble and the candle then, in case of that, if Moskvin's babbling is true. Why not, anyway? This guy is quite a 'sado'.

A couple of minutes passed, when they all thought the things through in their own way. Finally, a few raised their arms. All the others watched the movements of their mates, always waiting for the response of others. Let's say this is the typical 3/e. If you do, then I do it, too. Following this method, within a short time all 35 students had their hands in the air (with a token of response time). Some have raised both their hands.

„ I see. Then I'll show you the exit." the commander wasn't so frustrated than the kids first thought. Maybe there is even so a trap?

That came immediately to Sonoko's mind, she didn't hope from this promise too much but as she looked on the others face, she saw a small light of hope in their eyes. She still esteemed her bad dream a foreboding, even it is completely out of the kidnapping.

Moskvin was at the enchained door in no time, opened the padlock with a small key and then he showed the exit with arms wide open. That movement meant only one: you can freely go now.

There was dark in there, because the Terror Drones were the lamps themselves, and as they came to life, there wasn't anything to give brightness. Now, the room was flooded by strong light from the corridor nearby, the students lurched for a minute because of the sudden came glare. They could hardly believe that their freedom is only an arm's length away, after that Moskvin had said so many horrible things about this hostage-stuff. At the head of the group Anri Souma, Katsumi Wakai and some of the boys took a step forward uncertainly, but they cast a sidelong glance at Moskvin. It seemed, that their vexation was unnecessary for the time being, he only stood there in his place and was waiting for the kids to leave. Maybe this was only a test? Some foretaste just in case if the superpowers were still at war. What if it wasn't for real? Very rude for a joke anyway.

Many students were already convinced by the pretence, and also very relieved knowing, that it was really just a joke. They didn't hesitate longer, the crowd got going toward the exit as one man. Yeah, everything will be fine, the bus and the teachers will be waiting for them in front of this building.

Everyone wanted to be the first, who leaves the room, so a minor scuffle occurred. Her mates take Sonoko off her legs, only the tailenders could go at an easy pace. These tailenders were namely the Ryusaki-twins. The two boys kept quiet all the time Moskvin was speaking a short time ago, even if the others were screaming and weeping at the rising of the Teddies. Kinji's and Riki's face was always totally empty and calm and they acted like someone, who actually isn't there. Are they interested in this kidnapping? Or do they have feelings at all? If yes, and they are afraid like the others, they can dissemble it very well.

Sonoko managed to reach the opened door side by side with Nana Bunya, only one step remained, and they can also see the last of that madman Moskvin.

Suddenly the row stopped. That was because of the person, who stood in the forefront. The other person close on his or her tail wasn't quick enough, so he or she knock up against the previous one and this effect swept over the row from the beginning to the end. The forefronter got the biggest push, Michio Otomo punched poor Ben Ugaki so much, that the boy fell forth and landed on the floor.

Nobody helped him standing to his feet, what would make them do it? Who wants to be the lunch of the huge and bulky grizzly bears crawling along the corridor? The class screamed full-throated, both boys and girls, everyone turned round immediately and run back to Moskvin. When the last student tumbled into the dark room, the commander closed the door and returned the chains and the padlock to their place. Luckily, no one struck in the other side of the door.

I mean...

A frantic yell sifted to the safe place, someone screamed so painful if he was skinned alive. Now the boy, whom Moskvin locked out, began to batter at the door with his fists like hell.

"Somebody's crowded out!" gawped Nichie Shiomi flabbergasted and laid her hands on the lip.

"You can't help him." said the soviet sternly, but he was hardly able to hide his smile.

The helpless boy didn't give up, still tried to open the door. He failed to do this, because Moskvin had locked it up minutes ago.

"Ben!" Goushi Kakutama finally noticed the absence of his best friend whom he knows since kindergarten. They used to spend most of their free time together.

Now Goushi fell onto his knees and shielded his face with both palms. Sonoko bet she saw him crying, but it's okay. It's not a shameful thing.

Unexpectedly, Moskvin and the 34 students heard a big whoomp mixed with a roaring voice, then came something sounded like cracking bones and bursting flesh. Ben passed over in silence with a last death-rattle. For good. With that all the other noises broke off, everything were silent again. So what happened? Let's say it out without shuffle: Ben was killed by those bears, those WAR Bears.

Soviets prefer using thorough-paced bears as scouts on battlefield instead of attack dogs, they look upon them grimmer, more brutal and better warriors.

More girls started to cry quietly, it was quite hard to accept an additional death. First Fukashi, and now Ben... and this sh*thead is only laughing and laughing, more and more loudly like a crazy bastard!

Sonoko clenched her fists, she couldn't tell, how angry she was. Moskvin haven't stopped laughing yet, his echoing voice was louder than everything else: the sniffles, whinings and other noises came from the desperate boys and girls.

"You... you seriously... thought..." he could barely speak while he was laughing full-throated " I let you... go... freely? Hahahaha!"

He didn't noticed in his great cheer, that he has spoken Japanese now, he switched over it from English. After a long time Moskvin loured and smiled only once or twice.

_Haynau, Austrian general would have been glad, if he had known, that he has a partner, who is maybe more cruel than him... if Haynau had lived in that age. Sensation! The Hyena of Brescia and the Hyena of Leningrad teamed up with each other!_

"Let's get back to the game." the commander rubbed his hands and swept his eyes over the class umpteen times.

"And where do we know the rules? We haven't read that sh*it book!" someone said immediately with full of contempt in the voice.

Sonoko would bet on that, that more than half of the 3/e is staring at her in these moments. She could feel many look on her face, but cannot decide, the interruption was for her or Moskvin.

The soviet decided to stay by Japanese speaking, he thought to be "gracious" to the kids and show them his pro language skills. And of course, thus they can understand better, what to do next.

"I wanted to tell the rules just now, and going to tell right away, if you will be so nice and shut your mouth!" the voice was fulsome again, the students started to have bad feelings again.

"You do not have to know the story, because you have to do other things here. The main thing is equal: you-have-to-kill-one-another" he purposely heightened the last words with upraised first finger to give weight to his words.

"But! The task is not only solo-work, 'coz sometimes it can be verrry boring, so there will be team work at times. That means, every girl get a boy for partner. There are more girls, so there aren't enough boys to go round, and in that case that girl get a girl partner or will be alone. Understood?"

Nobody answered, he construed that the sign of appreciation. So Moskvin continued excitedly:

"And the pairs not will be for example: first boy with the first girl , the second boy with the second girl etc. That's too predictable. Your watch draw random."

On the score of something, Moskvin was overjoyed at seeing the class noticing the watches on their wrists first time. Sonoko had found her piece after the rousement. The amazement and the enquiry let the students forget for an instant, where they were actually.

"These watches will be you help in the course of the game. These are multifunction devices, have a built-in intelligent microprocessor with own integrated memory case. The gadget can be used as a GPS-machine or a compass and has also a built-in neon reflector; it's quite hard - 100 watt strong - so I've already told you a tip with that: this lamp is good for lighting into the enemy's eyes, haha. We can follow your physical status and hear your voice through a mini-microphone, if we please. Useful, huh? They have radio-wave connection with our control room-computer, which will control everything: your watches accept its order and display to you. Here we go, with that resolution the old Battle Royale system aka. the paper map, sharpie, separate compass and broadcasting updates were eliminated." the leader dried up. He may waited for handclaps or any regard, but the class remained in silence.

They take him more for a fool. Fool? No, it's not the right word. Rather insane. Totally flake. Who spend his/her free time with developing such killing-games?

"Much more practical in that way." he continued " Oh, I almost forgot... We're going to send commands via text messages from the control room. Your gadget can receive incoming transmissions, but outgoing calls can't be managed, so I heighten it: DO NOT TRY SUCH THINGS!"

He leant toward the people in the first row so much, that he splattered their clothes with gob.

"Don't sh*t yourself if the incoming message comes perhaps via video call. You know, it works like the webcam chat. The small display of your watches function like a monitor at that moment and the conversational partner's face can be seen. I will be that one usually, but who knows... You can see me, too and what is more!" he represented this useful side of the invention with another upraised first finger of him (Sonoko was willing to stick her middle finger - namely the 'fu*ck you' finger up at him) "we can hear each other's voice! I'm such a wonderful mind, dontcha think?"

"F*cking sure." a boy from the end of the row muttered ironically, just those've heard it, who were sitting right in the near.

Moskvin started strolling in the tight room, making small circles, while he was speaking faster than before:

"Thus we can also locate your position and find out, what you are doing. That's the point of this whole sh*t actually, that's why you can't take the watches off..."

The soviet commander said the last sentence mainly to Fukashi Murata (boys, #7), wherefore he tried to get off his piece since the man started this expositive speech.

Moskvin stopped next to Murata and only watched the boy with the hands in his pocket. He seemed thinking about something very firmly, but finally said out loudly.

"I hoped, that you are more clever and manage to explode yourself."

That was enough for Murata, he stopped poking the wristwatch immediately as some of his mates did the same.

"Yeah, just as I said!" Moskvin noticed with a wide smile, that the interest of the class came to life again.

"Remember, the watch can check your physical status! So if your heart stop beating without any premise, it assumes, that the owner got it off. Summa summarum1: the moment the device get separated from your wrist, the whole goes BOOM! (- the members of the 3/e recoiled as one person -) It's going to explode!"

* * *

**The number of students: 34 persons**

**Ben Ugaki eliminated  
**

* * *

[1]In total.


	5. Chapter 4: Run for your life!

„_Tonight maybe we're gonna run_

_Dreaming of the Osaka sun_

_..._

_Dreaming of when the morning comes…"_

_ Coldplay: Lovers in Japan_

* * *

***Now, more rules and then it finally begins...**_*****_

* * *

**Chapter 4**

"That's all for now about the watches. If I forgot to mention something, I'm going to tell you later. And now, let the draw begin!" the soviet man talked more and more faster as his motions became such urgent.

The anxious feeling the class had felt before was sensible in the atmosphere again.

"Take your watches and press the right button down there... yeah, that red one!" he replied with a sniffy look to Anri Kimura, who hesitated and glanced at him often - she wasn't brave enough to ask, which button they have to press. But Moskvin caught sight of that and shouted before the girl.

Sonoko like all the others, involuntarily obeyed and pressed the button. For most of the student's surprise, a tiny keyboard came out from all the watches, in the same way, when the tray comes out from the DVD ROM, if you push "reject". That keyboard was only ca. 10 millimetres wide, its diameter was as long as a dial of an average mobile phone. The buttons had also the same size and the same place on it.

"Type your name, then press 'okay' on the keyboard. Yeah, that one in the middle!" Moskvin styled the last sentence expressly for Anri, even if she didn't call anyone for help at present.

Sound of pressing buttons filled the room for the next few seconds. It didn't take long, everyone finished soon, still Asuya Fukuda could make it quick. Then a whistling sound came from the watches and when those sounds quietend down, the kids saw a big green number on the middle of their display, filling the whole screen.

Boys and girls started to whispering with their friends in the near, they were showing the number they got by drawing, to one another. They all acted with odd obedience, what Moskvin himself stressed the best during he was waiting for the result. Maybe the fear from the 'Teddies', the compulsion made the class to obey the commander or it was the disbelief, wherefore the teenagers wanted to make sure of the soviet's statement.

Sonoko had a look around, is there someone in her near, who had the same number. She, Nana, Midori and a few others have contrasted their watches - meanwhile Rumiko had sneaked among them in silence, for fear, Moskvin would take objection to her action.

Unfortunately, the watches of every girl showed something else. Sonoko had the number 11, Midori the '12', Rumiko '15' and Nana '14'.

_' __Great. What a shaft.'_

"So... I'm going to list the numbers beginning with one, and those, who has the same in their watch, will walk into those elevators over there. Not to worry, it's not a gas chamber." said Moskvin and then showed out his white teeth. He couldn't hide his wide smile, seeing the student's astonished face.

The elevators he mentioned, opened out immediately on the opposite side of the wall of that another door, which has bears behind it. Actually Moskvin opened it with a remote control, he got it out from one of the inner pockets.

"Partners number one!"

Dan and Rena stood up out of the 34 sitting kids, then walked hand in hand toward the first elevator. The central computer or what does the drawing, arranged, that they were drawn for each other. Incredible! Those two could never ask for a better partner.

While they were having toward the elevator, Dan suddenly left his girlfriend - she snatched at him in vain, but grabbed only the air - and the boy stopped only ahead of Moskvin. He didn't say a bloody word, just stared at him with rigid face. The soviet wanted to speak, but Dan was quicker and spit into his face.

The reaction was a stunned silence. Rena yelled a little, while she covered her eyes. She couldn't bear to see, what will happen next. Most of the 3/e expected the sound of the pistol-shot they had heard, when Moskvin killed Fukashi Tenzai. Instead of that, Moskvin laughed. Rena pulled her hands off out of the eyes and listened apprehensively. Like the others.

There is no need for more death before the 'game'! They can team up and figure something out to escape or something... the members of the 3/e know each other for a long time. For too long to harm one another so easily, right? Right?

Instead of 'Aren't you afraid? You're playing with your life!' and other similar cliche-affrights, Dan got a different response.

"I like your style, Nomura. We're going to make a gamble with my comrades and I think I might bet on you. But after that... I'll suffocate you with my own two hands, because you spit me on." the commie - unlike his words - spoke with such a 'from ear to ear' smile, as if he had just told some friends about the Saturday party.

"Morons like you deserve much worse than that!" Dan said with full of scorn.

After that, he turned round without any word and went back to Rena in his regular sleaziness. Rena took his right hand immediately, slightly clipped his boyfriend's ears, then looked at the beloved face with the harsh look of the worried people. They just stood there for a while, but finally proceeded to the elevators. During that time, when they disappeared in the deep dark of the lift, they were speaking about something, which sounded like a solid argument: it was a mixture of Dan's cursing, commination and Rena's try to calm him down.

At least they are together. There's no doubt, Dan will defend his girlfriend to the last ditch.

_'Dan is a nice dude, __even if __he is a butt sometimes. Well... most of the times. And Rena can see that hidden feature within the boy and stand it very well. They're so cute together... why is this goddamn "game"?' _

Sonoko managed to make herself angry with her own thoughts again, she had unwittingly Shinji Kudo in her mind. If he could but be here and protect her. _Whut? Hell no! _Sonoko shook her head. It's better for Shinji not to get involved in such horror, no matter that she is uninterested at him (Shinji goes out with Fuyuki Egami's younger sister again). Sonoko was always afraid of that, but she felt in heart, that one day this will come. He was supposed to be a hardcore "fan" of the girl.

Thanks to Moskvin's voice, Sonoko came back to reality: the man was iterating the number '11' at least third times. At the same time, Rumiko was poking her shoulder for a while to warn about the calling.

"Sonoko! Now you go!"

Sonoko stood up, turned round and quickly whispered to Rumiko.

"See you soon! I'll try to find you!" according to her plan, or rather to her hope, there won't be so much difference between the fight in BR and this Project, so irrespectively of the partnership-rule, pairs can team up with another duo. Whoever will be her mate, he probably won't attack his friends. Well... maybe the Ryusaki-twins are exceptions.

In her big excitement, as she chew over these things, she realised, that she missed checking her boy-mate. She was just thinking and when came to her senses, was already standing in the dark elevator cabin. Her legs automatically took her into there. To a totally empty lobby, which - let's say it out dirty - was f*cking dark. No light, no lamps, or anything at all. Only the other student, whom she got for partner. And she forgot to see his face.

"Who are you?" she asked into the darkness, but the answer didn't come.

She was ashamed by that reason; so, the classmate didn't like the idea of being her mate. Sonoko remained in silence and stood lost in sad thought.

When all of them went into their lifts, the 'fight' has started officially, they stepped into the battlefield together. Sonoko wasn't afraid, she just couldn't tell its cause to herself.

_'It's time to prove something? To prove what? __To w__hom? Rather... maybe __now we'll see __the real personality of the others ... __I'm sure__ they'll show their true colours.'_

Beside that uncertain excitement, she felt a deep sense of guilt. Because of her, instead of a 'simple' hostage-death, they are going to die by the hands of one another, like the gladiators in the arena. That was more depressing, that most of the class thought the same way. That's why she could be the premier target in their black list.

She convinced herself without any success, that they would die anyway. It is something else after all, since they have to leave this world with killing their best friends. Sonoko was near to cry, when suddenly something happened. Or it rather shouldn't have been?

The elevator doors closed up with a creaking sound, then a diving feel in every member of the 3/e signed, that they headed downwards.

Sonoko made a last attempt to find out, who is her partner - or rather she just wanted - because before she could speak, they've heard Moskvin's voice. It came clearly, without any strays from a built- in-speaker of every elevator.

"Now, that you have your partners (_And what if I don't... _- she thought ironically), I suggest you to take care of your mate, 'cause neither can live without the other. For example if the person Nr. 10 accidentally dies, his or her partner will die immediately with that one." a short break of thinking, then the commander continued:

"I don't know if it is worth to tell... maybe you won't be so motivated in fight then, but... ah, very well! So, sometimes... our scientists had played a bit and made a little twirl in that system, which means, the partners won't die together in every case. The computer decides it randomly 'to be or not to be', haha! But it has a very little chance, so take it very seriously! You might ask, how can we execute a healthful person from afar, when the mate dies, yes? Well, it's quite simple: a chip is being operated into your nape ( - as it was expectable, everyone touched their napes immediately - ) don't worry, you can't feel it, but if you poss it too much or too strong, it can explode ( - now the kids stopped touching their napes right away - ). Very sensitive, you know. Believe me, it's not worth the risk! Anyway, you can freely do, whatever you want, the chip will be only activated, when the computer can't sense the watches on your wrist. Or your partner dies. Or we decide to explode it manually. Yeah... Any questions? Oh! Haha, I can't hear you!"

During he was explaining all of this, the elevators landed on the ground floor (every single one in a different corridor) without any problem, but the doors haven't opened yet. Or rather not that door, in which they came through. Another door opened in the other side of the lift and a seemingly endless corridor appeared. Somewhere in the far, soft light flickered. That light lightened a pen with strong greed, it looked like, there were animals therein. Whether there were or not, the passage was silent. That doesn't mean anything, but... who knows.

Sonoko had a bad feeling about that place. So alone, she didn't trust her classmates anymore, maybe just Rumiko. She was sure, that she can't carry this through alive, but she settled, that her murderer will pay firmly for trying to take her life away.

Moskvin didn't let more time for thinking, the built-in speaker sounded again for the last time.

"Well folks, fight though, because only the last one can go home. The ONE and ONLY, who survives. Not thirty-idunnohowmany, not three, not two. ONE. If you'd like to see your beloved homeland again, you have to work for it hard! For now, watch out for your mate, and... what else did I want to say?" Moskvin sighed, then remained in silence for about a minute.

After a sharp creak of the speaker, he continued.

"_Da!_ I remember! As I mentioned before, you will be informed about the tasks via text message - yeah, there will be such curiosities - and about everything else we want you to know about. That's why keep an eye on the watches sometimes, please. Besides, the list of the names can be found also there, if you select 'menu' then 'list'. You can check, if someone is already dead and as an extra gift: when and how did he or she died exactly. It might inspires some of you ( - Sonoko would bet on a certainty, that the commander winked by that sentence - ). The main computer is programmed to refresh the database per six hours, I repeat: six hours, thus it won't turn out immediately, if somebody dies. That would rule the game, haha. All these things are another improvements over the old loud-speakers system. No deadline, at least one dead person needed to continue the fight, otherwise every chip in your nape is going to... I guess, you've already figured it out." a short laughing "we won't using danger zones yet, there will be some, but a bit later. In this first battlefield - we can calmly call so - we've set "moving" traps along the standard military traps. I hope you catch the pun... But why would you chew upon these stuff, take a look at those traps by yourselves!"

Sonoko has started to think about it before, that if this is a game like Battle Royale, then where are the weapons? Moskvin forgot to share them out, or they have to kill one another with their pure hands? Like in _pog__o _1?

"To start up the game properly, I give you some boost. My last hint: watch your back, and let the game begin! _Dasvidaniya_!"

The speakers became speechless, Moskvin was out. Instead of that, the original doors of the elevators opened out and they could go away from the building in the open air.

_'I wonder what is that douchebag meant by watching our back?'_

Sonoko took a glance backwards and saw flabbergasted, that the door of the pen disappeared. It might was opened out at the same time as the elevator door. With electric guiding of course. And the pen had "residents", a lot of half-starved, seedy wolf was running along the corridor to her direction. From the sudden came surprise, Sonoko chilled. She was just standing and watching the wolves as they tried to reach her. She could barely grasp, what she was seeing, she was so confused by reason of the events of the past hours. And her brain fucked up now, at this moment and decided to refuse any other thing, which seems unbelievable.

_'This is a terrible dream, isn't it?'_

Yesterday they all discussed about the excitements of the class trip, none of them would have ever imagined, that they'll end up in a massacre like that. They had faith in the "enemy" as they relied on their own Emperor. Yoshiro might have nothing to do with the exploded soviet harbour, but unfortunately, the Union has proof from it's inverse.

The girl had a plenty of "why" in her mind, she looked into the wolves' yellow, demon eyes with glaze. Suddenly she felt a push on her shoulders and from that, her legs started moving again. The boy partner of hers took Sonoko by the wrist and laid the girl into the dark, open air with great speed.

* * *

**The number of students: 34**

* * *

_[1]pogo= mainly in metal concerts: jumping, shouldering and laying into one another for fun. Sorry for explaining that, but I didn't find any sign on Google, that it would be a used word in English._


	6. Chapter 5: From one hole into another

**The game begins here... - I translated this chapter for a few months, but I haven't got too much free time.:/ (Sorry for the bad Eng. again^^")**

* * *

**Chapter 5**

* * *

The boy was running with great speed. Sonoko was a good sprinter and also had talent for long distances, still she could barely keep step with her classmate. She got tired soon and breathed very hard. She continued running however, thanks to the boy who held her by the wrist. Without him, Sonoko wouldn't been able to carry on.

As they had stepped under the open sky, they had found themselves in the middle of a dark, thicket forest with impenetrable vegetation.

It was about midnight or later, huge and frazzled clouds were floating on the the wide, starry night. The moon hid beyond such a group of clouds somewhere. So the class saw not sunlight in the corridor of the war bears, it was maybe a high-powered reflector.

Indeed, Sonoko realised, that after the waking here in captivity, she discovered the watch they all have got and checked the time. It was about 10 in the evening. One or two hours could pass since that time.

Now, as she and her boy partner winded themselves into the forest deeper and deeper (the classmate forced their way through the bushes as hell), they both heard the voice of others - those were in general desperate crying, bitter screams mixed with the howling of the wolves. The mild may-wind shepherded these sounds toward them form different distances.

Sonoko took a look at her male partner first, but it was such dark in there, that she could see only a blackness in front of her - as it was mentioned, the boys in the class had black uniform. _'Black... now, it's almost time to mourn.'_

The bushes were rustling behind them without cease, the wolves were still on track. The wild growls and wows made the hunt more frightening.

These beasts could have been starved for weeks - okay, just for a few days, because they wouldn't have lived yet - the main thing is, that in such condition, in the hope of prey, the animals were far way persistent. Who knows how long the chase lasted, Sonoko had already started to loose her strength for good - she has never been so drained, never run that much at one go, even in football training.

But their persistence maybe fructified, soon the enthusiasm of the hunters had eased. They rolled away a bit from the humans, but stayed on track.

The next turn came just after that. The boy stopped immediately and lurched, and if Sonoko wasn't there to pull him back, he would have fallen into a deep pit. Thus they got off with a tiny scratch or two by falling to the ground. The pit ran across the forest transversally, looked like it had no end in every direction. It seemed like an entrenchment or something similar things used in the war. Alas, it was also too wide to skip over. And now what? They really become wolf food?

The boy got up soon and as it was much brighter here - because of the pit, trees grew here sparsely - they could see the sky. Sonoko also managed to identify him on the score of his faint silhouette. She didn't know how to react in the moment of recognition. It was so... not, what she expected. Why him? Anyone, even Fukashi Murata would be better - even those two is always mocked by the others, how much they fit each other. Why even Riki Ryusaki?

It is true, he is one of the hottest guys in 3/e, but he is so mysterious and unpredictable. And he always has a cold, unkindly look. Nobody knows about him anything and it is the same in his twin brother, Kinji's case.

The main computer drew the worst partner for Sonoko.

_'Err... can we ask for recounting the votes?'_

But if you view it from another angle, at least the others got more predictable mates. The rest of the class know one another relatively well. Or do they?

What if in such an impossible situation your best friend - or who you think of he/she is the best - will turn against you without hesitation? There is only one rule here, that there aren't any rules, so no one is the same person like before.

Sonoko shook her head, she picked up on the growingly upcoming noises of the wolves. They couldn't go anywhere, the pit looked endless to the left or right, if they try to run that way, the beasts will easily get up to them. Or! There's the other option: jumping into the hollow deepness, where probably the bare ground will waiting for them, not pillows for example.

Riki Ryusaki's (boys #15) voice sounded so gentile in her ears.

"It's around 4 metres." he said.

The girl realised after a short reasoning, that Riki investigated the width of of the groove. If he is right, she still won't been able to jump that big. She at least, not. On PE lessons she managed to jump 3m and 95 or 98 cm for the third shot by long-jumping, but it is not 4. That one or two centimetres is count indeed. It is no match for Riki, he's very good at sports as every boy, but now they have to solve this problem together: without Sonoko, Riki may die because of Moskvin's stupid duo-system.

_'Riki is a perfect student, without any effort. I hope Mr. Whiz can figure something out...'_

And whereon the wolves reached that entrenchment thing, the students were safe. If we can call this BR game "safe". Just as much happened, that they found a big tree on the edge of the cove, which had stiff branches and rich foliage, so they could climb over another tree with similar parameters on the other side of the cove. The foliages of the two tree was almost abutted. This one was the only climbable tree in the near and they had also just a little time to act.

Sonoko had done the climbing a bit uncertain, but luckily, all went okay. They saw from the other side, how some wolves tried to snatch at them so those were fallen into the deep. They were too blindfold because of the hunger they had. The rest of the horde stayed in their place, then they slowly started to fall back.

So the first cross parried. How many do they have to tide over still victory?

And how many of the students couldn't make it? It is known certainly, that there are some less-sporty persons among them. Or rather they are in majority.

Sonoko sit down under that tree and lost in her thought. Then she covered her face, she didn't want Riki to see the tears in her eyes. She hated to cry in the presence of others, it was the sign of weakness for her, in vain, that it was only from anger. She thought otherwise in the case of others though, she wanted to evade showing week only herself - the hard past she had lived was the artificer of that; her "friends" outraged her a lot, gibed at her and she was underrated by everyone, only a few want's to play with the girl because she was a feebling.

Riki stood next to the tree wordlessly.

"They want that all the way." Sonoko said "for us to spread. They want to separate us, not to meet for now. To estrange us from one another, so we won't trust anyone. Thus it is a ton easier to attack someone."

Sonoko had no idea, why did she say it out loudly, as her thought formed into words, just felt to do so. Riki stayed in silence and just looked at the girl, as if he was waiting for something.

Some dim noise broke the tunelessness, came from animals or the whistle of the blowing wind at times. Everything was so quiet like in a secret date. Oh crap, in normal circumstances the temper would be romantic. Maybe in another life.

They both came to reality when a short, high toned beep clanged right from their watches. The two display started to beacon and a small envelope-shaped icon signed the incoming message. After pressing "okay", its text appeared.

"The first task folks: in this area you only have to provide weapons for your survival. Naw, don't get frightened, I don't ask impossible thing, you'll find everything in the warehouse, which is in the middle of this arena. I have already sent the coordinates, you can check them in your digital map. There is one catch: the faster you reach the warehouse, the better gun you get! Namely, the fist few pair can have an UZI for example, while the belated ones can be happy with a pocket knife. So if you refreshed yourselves after the hare and hounds, I suggest to go and head toward the location as soon as you can! I wish you good luck, you need a lot if you ask me! Oh, and there is something else: don't forget the "moving" and "standing" traps!"

Sonoko's hands quivered from anger. If they had gotten the message on paper, she would have pulled it to as many pieces she can. They also have to fight for the weapons! What, if two pairs reach the destination at the same time? They won't enter the warehouse arm-in-arm for sure.

She thought about Rumiko. She could been able to find her at least. Well, they could try to hide near the warehouse with Riki and wait for Rumiko. She wondered, what will he say about that quick-made plan.

She turned her eyes from the display, it seemed that her partner would have just waited for that. Now he started up to west, namely to the left direction. The girl opened the map on her watch, while she was following him.

Almost the whole map was dark green, those were the unreachable lands. Circa quarter of this area was lighter, it was the first game field - as the label signed. In that small part could be seen all the relief, the contour-lines and the main passages. A red spot was flickered all the way - that was the position of the warehouse. With another press, the students could visualise their own position in a form of such a red spot. Unfortunately (or not?) they saw only themselves, the others not.

When Sonoko finished studying the map, checked the list of the class, but realised, that whoever died during the wolf-hunt, it won't be made public awhile. So, still two name was grey on the list - Ben Ugaki and Fukashi Tenzai - and 34 other stood out.

Riki pulled up all of a sudden, because of that Sonoko ran at him (that's what you get by not keeping the response-time distance (like in driving), eh?).

"What happened?" she asked with perplexity, but Riki snubbed her.

He wanted to show, that something isn't right there.

They looked around carefully and stirlessly, but everything was silent. So Riki took a step forward, then suddenly an oblong, thin something bedded into the ground. Exactly over there, where Riki wanted to step to.

Riki ran to Sonoko immediately, took her and jumped with the girl into the thicket.

A soft whisper came out somewhere from a crown of a tree. There was a nervous argument between the conversational partners.

"I've already told you not to throw away yet, you idiot! You should have waited until they come closer! Now it is down somewhere, if we go and try to find it, they will get us! Who were they anyway?"

"And how should I know? Do you think I can see in this freakin' darkness? Well, what's next, if you have always such good ideas!"

"Wait, maybe they haven't noticed us yet. Let's wait a bit until they leave. Just listen in silence!"

They did so, because none of them spoke again. It didn't find out, who those two students were, just that much, that they were both girls. Someone got a girl partner? Or they have already teamed up? Then there can be a boy here in the near. Or two...

Many minutes passed in such quiet, both the girls in the tree and the other two in the bushes listened very tensely. Sonoko thought, she can be awake harder as time goes by - although she was not sleepy, she was rather physically tired. And this awaiting made her much more nervous.

Finally something happened. The branches of a tree in the near rustled softly, then a short girl with round face jumped down to the ground. She was quite awkward, but it is forgivable for an urban fashion-kitty as Etsumi Inukai (girls #18) was. Etsumi took a cautious step forward, toward the thing they lost with her friend, while she was looking round all the way. Her arms and legs quivered but she couldn't leave that stuff there. The girl took a deep breath and ran awkwardly to her thin object and pulled it out from the soil with a quick verve.

Then a silvery blade glanced in the moonlight, so the moon wasn't behind the clouds anymore. Etsumi had an orange shafted paper-knife in her hands.

"Got it!" she spoke in whispers with a wide smile, then told to her girl friend "you can come down now."

She got no answer.

"Yurisa! I say, you can come down now! We don't have any reason to fear, we are the only one with any weapon. It's good to have the knife always in my sock." besides the white shirt and black skirt, a long, large sock made the girl's uniform. And many of them - like Etsumi did - were wearing the uniform with the socks down, so no wonder, that it was the best place for most students to hiding their things. Many stuff could be hidden there without being spotted. This paper-knife managed to escape even the notice of the soviets.

Etsumi called for her friend for nothing, she can't get an answer. Etsumi started to have bad apprehension. She headed toward the tree very slowly, but before she had reached it, Yurisa Akera (girls #20) landed by her feet with an extremely strong verve. We probably all thought, this one will never wake up here, but miraculously Yurisa sprang to her feet like a grasshopper. There was nothing wrong with her, no injuries or something. She just ran away without a single word, she left Etsumi to herself.

Who was standing humble-mouthed like a sculpture and stared a bit uncomprehendingly.

Something doesn't hold together. Paper-knife or not, she became scared after all. All unawares, like she was driven by an invisible power, turned round.

Her blood ran cold seeing Riki in front of her. The better her common sense left him, the stronger her instincts for living became. Riki moved moderately and Etsumi saw, she was the aim. She didn't hesitate longer, quickly began to scatter. Riki followed her. Everyone would expect of a superb athlete, that he catch up his prey in no time. Mainly in a case of a plaza bitch, who outperform herself by store discounts at best.

Sonoko didn't want her classmates to fight each other and even she didn't know anything about the Ryusaki-twins, she couldn't imagine any of them to be a cold-blooded murderer. Sadly, it seemed Riki attack people without hesitation, mainly a girl, so if not for this pair thing, she, Sonoko would have been such a victim to the boy. She knew it at heart but durst against the feeling. She won't been able to accept so easily.

The girl didn't care the danger or so anymore, she shouted to Riki:

"Hey, stop it! Don't do that!" she took that risk. When others find them because of her fault, so let it be.

After that she was just standing and watched the scene as an outsider. Luckily (or not), Riki failed to catch Etsumi, that was a close shave though.

Etsumi reached the tree in time, in the moment the boy could grab her by the shirt, she got round the body of the tree and headed toward the thick bushes. Straight into Sonoko's direction.

Maybe the desperate flight, the revengefulness or something else made her to run at Sonoko and push over her. Sonoko didn't tumble down, but suddenly felt heavy pain in her arm. Just as someone cut his/her finger. She grunted. At the same time she heard a silent crack, the top of the paper-knife broke down.

Yeah, Etsumi on purpose? Accidentally? cut her with the blade. Anyhow, the victim pronounced it "intentional" and stopped feeling sorrow for her classmate. She thought about her angrily. She have always hated fashion bitches and that hatred became stronger and stronger.

Riki ran by her, meanwhile Inukai forced her way screaming through the bushes. Sonoko thought, it's better to follow them. So she followed them by holding her injured arm tightly. Sonoko could take the pain relatively well, but she had some days, when the smallest pin-prick was beyond all bearing. I dare say, that day was such a day.

Sonoko noticed, that she might see worse, or why did the forest around her look paler? And at top of that, blood was just flew from the wound, she would scream by choice. She didn't see where was she running to, just followed the voices she heard.

A half minute later she heard a short crunch then as if the ground would have collapsed under her feet, she felt the well known falling and heard the whistling wind in the ears. She found herself soon in a flossy leaf-litter and she was not alone. She was blind in her misery, so tried to palpate the surroundings with the fine arm. The girl touched some flat stone in the coarse leaf-litter.

A cutting, ostentative voice sounded aloft.

"Haha, I remembered that trap, we... i mean Yurisa almost fell it down! I Knew it will be useful! I tricked you, haha!" Etsumi laughed gloatingly, like girls used to, when they seduce one another's boyfriend.

"I hope you have broken your neck!" then she snarled like a wolf and as a sign of her deny she dumped down some dust from the soil.

As Sonoko were lying with closed eyes, she just felt the dust falling to the face. She prefer used her audition at the moment. Riki was moveless next to her, Etsumi's steps were fading in the near.

They were ambushed again.

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**The number of students: 34**


	7. Chapter 6: Promise

_"I believe in nothing - Not the end and not the start_

_I believe in nothing - Not the earth and not the stars_

_I believe in nothing - Not the day and not the dark_

_I believe in nothing - But the beating of our hearts_

_I believe in nothing - One hundred suns until we part_

_I believe in nothing - Not in satan, not in god_

_I believe in nothing - Not in peace and not in war_

_I believe in nothing: But the truth of who we are."_

_ 30 seconds to Mars: 100 suns_

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**Translating progress is a bit slow, don't have much time and still prefer working on my original story than fanfics. But I'll finish translating BC just it is going to take some time. Here's another short chapter which one's ready for ages, I just had to submit...**

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**Chapter 6**

The moon was about to set, the horizon was red as a sign of the coming dawn. The stars only glimpsed and the landscape sat in penumbra.

Dan Nomura (boys #8) and Rena Bando (girls #1) were heading down the line from a small hill in a dirt road. They were surrounded by a forest with thin vegetation, so the visibility was very good for the two students but also for the others. That's why they walked carefully and looked around often.

As they reached the bottom of the hill, they caught sight of the silhouette of a building - probably the only building in the first game field. There weren't any other important places signed by the digital map however, so that was the warehouse they were seeking.

Rena got very tired from this all-night walking, she felt she had enough of it.

"Dan, let's have a short rest, please." she asked silently. She got a nod as an answer, then they sat down near the dirt road in the shielding of a large rock.

Rena pressed closely to Dan and asked:

"How's your wound?"

"Ah, never mind." he replied easily but his features showed otherwise.

"Hang on, we'll figure something out. If this is a training range or some shit like that, I'm sure we'll find a first aid place somewhere."

"Those fucking beasts!" Dan cursed, but shut up, because his wound was hurt so much.

So he was about to speak as less as he could unlike the custom. Dan closed his eyes and let Rena stroke his face, while he tried to call the events to mind from the beginning until this moment. The class was kidnapped and now they are set to fight one another. There is already two dead, like Ben Ugaki, who was in the triumvirate (Goushi Kakutama was the third). How much they fooled around in English class, during Sara Akamatsu's teaching...

Dan wasn't that sloppy type however,but he missed Ben very much and he would rush on that damn Moskvin with his bare hands by choice. Whose next shitty kidding was to send wolves after them. One of those animals bit him, when he and Rena were gain on by them. The rest - if Dan had heard right by the screams - began to be after Kirika Kido's team.

Dan and Rena were extremely lucky with that tension-bridge (like in Indiana Jones - the allied-made, brainwashing movie, which is in the black list in the Empire), so they could easily come across the abyss. But naturally, the wolves followed them and Rena had horror of height - and in top of all, the bridge was very unstable - it is a wonder, they got out of this alive. It was maybe the work of fate, that the bridge couldn't take all their weight and broke away in the hither side. Then the end of the bridge slumped like a piece of paper. It was a fortune, that the other side held on. The wolves fell down to the last man, but Dan clawed at the plank of the tension-bridge (he had the barb in the palm since that). He got Rena's arm with his other hand and as he usually spent a lot of time in gym, it was nothing to climb up to the ground in that way...

The boy could hardly imagine, how he managed to do all that without losing the presence of mind. Thinking back to these things after-wise, he wasn't certain he could survive the same adventure once again. The main thing, that they are alive at the moment, and this little wound doesn't stop him to hold out to the end and defend the girl, he loves at any cost.

Dan returned from his thought to reality. Rena was just put the orange scarf right in his ribs - that was the bandage in this needy situation. Every girl got one for the uniform and now it came in handy.

"I've just retightened it. It slackened." Rena said silently, then she broke in the voice. Tears sprang to her eyes.

Dan immediately took her hands then they fall on each others neck and they were cuddling for long.

"Why is it like this? Why is it suppose to be like this?" sounded Rena's explosion "why can't be everything like yesterday was? We were on the plane and...

She broke in the voice again.

"They should've known better! This trip mustn't have been organised! They had to expect this trap! They send us right to death! Fucking goddamn whores...!" she continued cursing, but it was not certain if it concerned for Moskvin, the soviets or the leaders of the EotRS. Mybe all of these.

Rena sounded again after a shorter period of time:

„I don't want to hurt anyone. Not but that I could ... This is not fair! ... I'm surely not going into this shitty game!"

„Neither do I." Dan replied.

Rena relieved by hearing her boyfriend's words. Dan used to have an aggressive temperament, she expected another answer.

„But if anybody attacks me, I won't moderate myself" he added „I will protect you at any cost! I will never retreat."

It gratified in Rena's heart, but it didn't last long. If they do not want to win and nobody to hurt how on earth could they get out of here alive? And if Dan fights back by an attack to defend themselves, he have to kill until all the "participants" will slowly gone. It's a vicious circle, no matter, how hard they try to escape, more and more will fall into this whole race, and the helplessness, the despair will take control over everyone's mind.

"What... what do you think would have happened if Moskvin didn't find Sonoko's book? What's then?"

"I don't think it'd be better." Dan replied after a short thinking "maybe we would have to be ransomed and by all daily delays someone would die in front of cameras, in TV. You know, as terrorists do."

"Yep." she breathed a sigh.

"And what sadist dick head this Moskvin is, who knows what he would have done with us. But in this way we still can figure something out... or we can try at least."

He got up from sitting with an easy pain.

"Well, it's time to move on. I don't want them to find us here. It isn't known, who's such a moron and is in the game."

"You're right!" she replied, but was still shocked because of the wolf attack.

Then she put an arm around Dan and helped him walk. They hardly left the shielding of the rock, the two students saw shadows moving near the warehouse. Four silhouettes. The lovers hurried back to their cover and started to watch them in silence. They could see those people and until dawn, they were safe in the dark from unwanted eyes.

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**Number of students: 34**


	8. Chapter 7: First Blood

**Ok, I think there will be some problem by discerning Fuyumi (girl) and Fuyuki (boy) from each other at the first reading - at least I got some notices in reference to that, but ah well... enjoy... :)  
**

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**Chapter 7**

Two boys (the taller ones) and two girls (the others) were among them. The tallest of all was definitely Baku Shoda (boys #11) - he had that typical spike hair made with hair gel - the other boy in the black uniform was Fuyuki Egami (boys #3), that lanky, but still tough athlete. He was a superb long-distance runner and participated in a lot of foot-race, where he usually put up a good show. Many girls just shook the head when they saw Fuyuki in the running track day by day as he practised for hours long. If not in other cases, now he could use this ability against the wolves.

Both of the girls were blonde. The colour came into fashion by US model, but abated a bit when the war broke out - even so if something ever started out, won't come to an end so easily. Nana said leastwise, she will not colour her hair back to brown, because she has not enough money for it. In these critical times it's quite hard to live as a common men day after day, just the parvenus, like the Ryusakis could afford continuing their earlier life. Anyway, that blonde hair will grow down, so what to worry about?

At the present - here, on the game field stood just Nana Bunya (girls #2) as one of the girls with Baku and Fuyuki. Her mate was the tallest of the girls, Fuyumi Morimoto (girls #7) with shoulder-deep hair. If rumors are true, they had just reunited with Baku Shoda again, but that's not the point right now. Besides her and Nana, there are two more blondes in the class, Rena and Yaeka Sugiyama (girls #13).

The four students might have met right this time, they were making up to each other hands holding up in the air.

"We didn't have the opportunity to show you before, that we have nothing to harm you and we don't want to attack as well." said Fuyuki.

"I thought so!" Baku Shoda replied immediately in his regular pompous style. "I don't think you could hurt me anyway."

Fuyuki by hearing that, acted like nothing had happened, but memorised this hostile comment in himself. As a matter of fact, he had the most conflict with Shoda (everyone named him simply in his surname and Baku Baisotei as well to differentiate these two), mainly in PE lessons.

"I suppose it's not the time for hating each other." said Fuyuki.

"Yeah, Baku, we agreed not to be in the game." Fuyumi said that to Shoda.

" And if they provoke us?" asked Shoda arrogantly. BTW, he didn't remember such conversation from earlier at all.

"They won't provoke you if you are not such..."

"Such what? Come on, speak, once you have started...!"

He stood by Fuyumi in face to face and looked at her threatening. The two face almost abutted, in normal situation they'd surely end up kissing. Maybe Shoda wanted that way in the end, but Fuyumi turned her face away.

"We should figure out how to pass through into the next area thing." she said evasively and stepped to the door of the warehouse.

They knew, there's no other way through the next zone, an on the face of endless, at least 8 metres high electric fence cut the game field into half. The students started to examine the whole building - which had the size of a garage - there wasn't any conventional door, probably an elevator-like the one, controlled by electricity.

"The warehouse is the only passage." stated Fuyuki and left the plate of the electric fence, which had a lightning symbol and a warning text in it.

"Why are you so sure? You touched it?" Shoda bantered him.

"No, I'm not."

"You daren't. So coward to do!"

"No, I just don't wanna, okay?"

Nana had enough of the argument so she shouted to the boys:

"Oh, stop it already! Before you jump each other's throat, hell, I will open that damn door for you!"

As she tried to examine the wall in the dark, she found something. A small, flat device, which - it seemed - it was tightened to the warehouse wall.

"Here's something!" she attracted the attention of the classmates. Just in time, because Shoda was about to insult Fuyuki again. Now they gathered round Nana and took stock of the device. With a single click Shoda opened light to his watch, so they all could see more, but it had the danger, that others in the near may detect them.

"This must be a decoder." said one of the boys after a long silence.

"Do we need a code?" asked some of the girls after that.

"No, it says: _Congratulations! You reached the goal first! Type your name_."

Fuyuki shouted out with the joy of the victorious' on his face.

"Wow, I'm the first, I'll get the best weapon!" he almost typed his name on the keyboard of the device, the fingers prolifically chattered over it, whereof Shoda stopped him.

"Hey, Fuyuki, we are here, too!" this time the girls agreed with him.

Fuyuki turned to the direction of Nana.

"What are you crying at, Nana? You're with me, dontcha remember? We are the first two!"

"And what about us?" asked Fuyumi displeasedly with crossed arms in her chest.

So Fuyuki tried to explain himself, as they got used to that in their everyday life in school or the student hostel. He find an excuse or tried to find one at least for anything and wanted to save his skin, when the matter was definitely lost. That's why he earned the grudge of Baku Shoda and some others, too. It happened sometimes, that Fuyuki betrayed the friends openly in the defence of himself.

"I reached here first, do I Shoda?" he hove "Don't disclaim it, at least now! I'm a far better runner than you!"

Baku and Fuyumi gave him the counterattack:

"Sure. We all got here almost at the same time!"

"And? That's less than hitting the house cheek by jowl!"

"Even you haven't seen, who got here earlier, bro!"

Shoda immediately rushed at Fuyuki, they began to grapple. The girls were wash-out. That was only the matter of time, when will hell break loose. Moskvin was surely watching that with great content in his comfortable seat in the control room - sithence that was his aim of course. Dan in the near continued cursing.

"I knew, this Fuyuki is a treacherous little bastard!"

He almost let Rena and himself get detected by those four, he put himself in a flutter that much because of Fuyuki's behaviour. They could witness anything with Rena. Despite the pain coming from the wound, the boy wanted to interfere, but his girlfriend made him stop. Meanwhile things settled down by the warehouse, Shoda pulled the other boy against the wall, threatened him then finally set him free.

"Fine, write your name first, then. But I don't get it, what is the difference between first and second." Fuyuki growled bitterly.

"What, it doesn't matter now? It was just the same moments ago!" Shoda turned at him, while he was typing his name at the device.

The girls were listening in silence, as long Shoda typed Fuyumi's name, too.

"So there! Here you go! That's why you cried at!"

During that time the elevator door-like entrance opened up so the students could see a dark, square shaped hole in the middle of the building wall. The first duo stepped in and the next finally typed their names. They followed Shoda and Fuyumi soon enough.

There was a strange atmosphere within doors, some lamps took care about light and those were sagging from the roof in tore cables. The whole room smelled like in the hospital, there was some smoke diffusing in the air. Fuyuki barely entered the warehouse with Nana, the door closed itself automatically. Nothing else was there, like a lot of safe numbered from one to seventeen. Small lamps could be seen on every piece, if it was open, the lamp shone green, in the other case it was red. This time the students saw only two green lamps out of the seventeen, they understand immediately how things were going.

Shoda and Fuyumi went up to the opened safe in their near, they got the two weapons from its inside soon: a hunting knife with a stock made of bone and a Revolver. Fuyuki and Nana found an automatic UZI and some grenade from their box. All of them stared the gifts for long, they didn't know what to do next.

Suddenly the door opened again, the students got scared as one person. At first they believed, that new partners entered the room, but the dark hole was in the other side of the building at this time, in one word - they got free access to the second game field. It was quite scarry to go out in the darkness from the safety of the light, but they had no other choice. They had to leave the place immediately.

Fuyuki got going foremost with the first sparks of hate against Baku Shoda. If there hadn't been that whole stupid killing competition called "game", maybe he wouldn't felt the motivation to hurt his friend. Now, he needed great focusing to keep a check on the anger. So he prefer to ice Shoda and headed toward the next game field.

But the hot shot shouted after him, it made the other to stop. He turned back and tried to understand Shoda's words, but got very confused.

"Oy, just take a look, Fuyuki! We've permuted the weapons. We've got yours and you've got ours. We chose the wrong safe." Shoda explained.

And he was right. Nana was standing next to the safe with number one on it, and Fuyumi by the one with number two. They really have permuted the weapons the first and second pair should get.

"And?" Fuyuki was so confused, that he answered only that much.

That looked like he didn't cared, so that made the other boy extremely angry.

"What's with and, huh?" he asked with threatening eyes and got going toward Fuyuki. "we're going to exchange weapons nicely, that's the situation! Everyone gets what belongs to them."

Fuyuki got scared or maybe misunderstood the other's movement, but that's also possible he made this on purpose: he left himself to the killing desire and ranged the UZI at the classmate. He naturally won't give him the tool, which might cause his own death. _Why should I ease his situation?_

Fuyuki's fingers almost pulled the trigger, in vain that the other held his Revolver lowered by his limb. Shoda had an attitude, some philosophers called "übermensch", but he never got the idea to harm someone at all. At the moment at least. Now, he stood dumbfounded and stared at Fuyuki with surprised gaze. He didn't understand, why was Fuyuki doing all this. The two girl shared his perplexity.

The one with the UZI answered by seeing that many amused faces.

"You think I'll give the UZI back, eh? Sure, and then you'll have the faster and stronger gun! It will cost you nothing to crack me up! Don't take me a fool!" he squalled "I know, that you have always hated me and badgered whenever you could! It was only me who you ran me down on PE lessons for example! I know you would willingly kill me, you just wait for the perfect chance! This game came in handy for it!" he still held the gun ranging at Shoda.

"Don't be an idiot, Fuyuki! Put that fucking gun down, damn it!" the two girls ordered about him by turns, but he didn't obey.

Many seconds passed away in such movelessness, the students were waiting in a deadly excitement. Shoda felt fear first time during his life, and also a bit helplessness - few occasion happened, which he couldn't been able to handle. Yet, things went to the contrary, his life depended from Fuyuki's decision.

The Revolver was by him for nothing, whereat he started to lift it up, he took some hell of a bullets to the belly. The safes were too small to hide behind. He really didn't get Fuyuki's behaviour, not, because he perhaps said it in German (Shoda was week in languages), but, because Fuyuki's blow-up was fully baseless. A spoiled only child as Shoda is; his type is usually a man of moods, his changing of cheer is not bound to a single person, he act with others how his day momentarily like. Fuyuki was unlucky by him, and they were always opponents in football, that's why Shoda insulted him more often. He never bore unnecessary quibbling on the pitch, when that went against the game - he hit the roof at those times. But nobody knew it, hence Fuyuki take these upon himself.

"Calm down, okay?" Shoda finally sounded.

First it seemed that his words worked, Fuyuki put his anger away and lowered down the gun. All the others relieved but in the next moment they heard an ear-splitting noise and saw Shoda falling down onto the ground. He died immediately, the other boy shot him by the chest. Only the wonder could save him, all parts of the body became full of blood soon enough. Baku Shoda didn't move anymore, the room sat in full silence. Full, desperate silence.

So, Fuyuki Egami has started the game. One of the girls, Fuyumi stared at the goner, with a lenten face - whom she once loved. Her eyes were covered in tears, she cried over Shoda in this condition. Nana's anger was greater then she could cry.

"What have you done, you a-hole? What did Baku do to you? He didn't attack and not even ranged that fucking gun at you! Fu, just you wait! Just you wait! I'll get you!" she was so angry, that she could only cursing. Her mouth moved almost unawares.

It had the danger, that Fuyuki will shoot her too - even the rule: the pairs have to work together or by the death of one the other will also die, but Fuyuki stood in one place with lifeless stare as he would be in another place in mind.

"It wasn't me. Shoda started all this!" he sounded "I just defended myself."

"Yeah, sure! Don't blame him!" Nana replied "you know what? I've done with you! I'm not working with you anymore, fuck that stupid rule!"

She stepped up to Fuyumi so she could help the girl up, who was extremely desperate and sank in herself, she wanted to leave their crazy classmate behind as fast as they can.

The boy noticed her intention and to prevent that, he pointed the UZI to the two girls.

"Stop! Nana you stay here! We're a team, if you die, so do I. Don't even try to resist!"

Fuyumi hardened into stone from frighten, but not Nana, she turned reckless against Fuyuki.

"Go on, kill me! Finally you're going to die as well. It's better for everyone without a psychotic bastard like you! Maybe they've still got their good sense."

"I SAID TO COME HERE!" he shouted from full throat, then aimed the other girl with the weapon "OR I SHOOT FUYUMI!"

Fuyumi cried with red face.

"LOWER THAT DAMN GUN ALREADY!"

"Say Nana to come here then! he squalled back "when I killed Shoda, as his mate, you would have died too!"

Seeing the circumstances they all forgot this fact - or they didn't know whether Fuyumi and Shoda was an original pair or not; even Fuyumi herself forgot, that she had another partner, not Baku Shoda. She didn't ease the belly from that anyway, she realised at this holy second how much risk she have taken by letting herself and the original partner separate from each other.

"Hey! How long do I have to wait?" asked Fuyuki.

Nana finally nodded then returned to the boy, the other blonde girl watched it with great fear - she knew that Fuyuki won't fulfil the promise.

Well, she was right.

"I can't let you just walk away, I'm sure you would tell the others, what happened here." so Fuyuki wanted to send his target after Baku Shoda and with this movement another important thing came into his mind.

"I don't know, how is it, that you are still alive, you can't be so lucky at the very beginning! Or maybe you had an other partner? In any way soever: die!" he barely said out, pulled the trigger immediately.

Fuyumi waited for her end with the eyes closed, but nothing happened. She heard a painful groan and as she opened her eyes again, she saw Fuyuki on the floor, knocked down by Nana, the girl who had usually a peaceful temper. Fuyuki lied unconscious, a narrow trail of blood flew slowly out of his ears.

From the relief and because of the ironic situation, Fuyumi smiled.

"_Basilar skull fracture_. Wow."

By the way, these two (even Fuyuki) chose biology as elective course for the last two school years.

Nana looked down to the boy with contumeliously look.

"His kind deserves no other! I would willingly beat the shit out of him, even if I killed myself with that. But I wouldn't be better than him then..." she still spit on the classmate's body. A one with full of rheum.

"That's yours, you SOB!"

They wasted enough time with that, so she discard the small metal box-thing which she used to deal with Fuyuki - there were many of these amongst the safes.

Fuyumi threw a final glance at Shoda, and started to cry again silently. It was hard to process, that they could enjoy the view in the streets of London or some other place in England together; they could go for a walk in the typical cobble roads of the old villages... watching the store windows while they were having an ice cream... or wonder the sunset. In normal case. Why on earth is this nonsense game?

She took a final leave from Baku in her mind, and after that she hurried after Nana - who quickly gathered all the weapons they got from the safes - unwillingly at first, but with the uttermost speed in the end. The fresh dawn found them on the other side.

* * *

**[Number of students: 33]**

* * *

**Baku Shoda eliminated**


	9. Chapter 8: It has begun

**Maybe an unnecessary chapter?**

* * *

**Chapter 8**

Dan Nomura and Rena Bando couldn't have seen the warehouse events within doors, however they heard almost everything and realized, that something happened between the four students. Some misunderstandings.

After they went into the house, those two outside had heard nothing, but chirping of the cicadas. This harmonic silence was out soon - a clash, screams, then sound of a gunshot slit into the atmosphere. These screams could be understood in shreds, so Dan and Rena couldn't figure out, what had happened.

Both of them stood dumbfounded as the gunfire ended - it was clear: one of their classmates died today. They needed some time to recover themselves.

Rena cuddled up to Dan with shivering body, but was very careful not to touch his wounds.

"I don't want to go in." she whimpered.

Dan kissed her face, and then set out for the warehouse, pulled Rena gently with him.

"But, we have to go. The others can be here in any minute. There might be someone else, who will kill without hesitation."

They looked around carefully as they had on their way, every sound, every voice could mean the presence of someone from the 3/e.

"Who do you think that gave the deadly shot?"

"I don't know. Fuyuki was the turd here, but you know Shoda. He's quite hot headed and always throws his weight about... so: no bid."

"And what if, they are still in there? The murderer at least?"

"You can be right." the boy had a sigh "let's wait a bit."

Meanwhile they've reached the warehouse, so they could have a rest. Dan stood with a moan against the wall with the ears on the elevator-like door. He listened for minutes long, till then his girlfriend watched the bushes after new classmates.

Maybe because of that or maybe it was just the wind, but the shrubs in the near started moving - some others have reached the location perhaps?

The couple hesitated no longer. They have spent many time here, stayed longer as necessary, so it's very likely, more students arrived. So they typed their name by the device quickly - at least they knew how the system works, thanks to Shoda, Fuyumi, Nana and Fuyuki - it was easy to open the door.

They stepped into the building and after a dark forefront, that light room came next, which smelled like in the hospital - there was only one person there: the cold body of Baku Shoda.

* * *

**[Number of students: 33]**


	10. Chapter 8b: In Memoriam

**This one is more interesting and passionate than the previous chapter was; I wish I could just translate it without so many grammar mistakes. I gave the title "8b" because I wrote this chapter later than the 9th - I think this is necessary here, it helps understand the relationship between Fuyumi and Shoda.**

* * *

**Chapter 8b**

_"He still loved me. I know it... I feel it..."_

Fuyumi Morimoto's (girls #7) face was covered in tears again and again as the emptiness in her soul and the puzzledness in her mind made the girl to think through the "sensational escape" of theirs, which became hell in no time. She remembered everything as she would have been there again, in that adventure from earlier... as she took notice to the wolf pens on the base floor... the cold fear, which shook her body fully...

She could start running at first because of her boy partner - she didn't like him very much anyway... then that fresh, may-fragrance came from the direction of a forest as they stepped into the nature.

... Everything set in great darkness, the trees and bushes were moveless, only the wind echoed with screaming of the other 3/e members. The forest seemed quiet and homelike, then suddenly filled with tigerly howl came from the wolves and distress crying came from many boys and girls. All these cries sounded hysteric and rusty, nobody could say, which voice belong whom, is it a boy or a girl. Fuyumi followed her partner with set lips, as fast as she could - well, she was a good athlete once, but many years passed since then, so the absence of the everyday training was sensible now. Because of the running she felt the beating of her heart, like never before, she could barely breathe and the dry air burned the eyes extremely.

It was a good question however, why the stumpy, but fatless boy was the only hitch in front of her, who took some looks back sometimes to make certain, Fuyumi is okay. Otherwise, he was very persist in saving his life namely, making a way for himself in the high undergrown. Yeah, that was the thing, Fuyumi was angry about - she have to share a life with this... kid - so if he dies, Fuyumi will follow him most likely. She didn't have any other option - it's not a request show, ya know - since accepting the facts.

She followed her mate relatively well, even if she felt, her legs have already given up the flight. Not as their hunters', the students couldn't been able to get shot of them, many teeth clapped hungrily for flesh, not only in their backtrail - a whole pack of wolves were running after the crying class.

Fuyumi thought, she and her partner are not alone, more truly, she felt some of the student's gasping in the near mixed with some bush-rustle. For a proof, after the rustle, there was a noise, what people could only hear when somebody fell off. Fuyumi turned the head right, so she saw, that another pair was there, about 10 metres far from her. And a girl was lying on the ground.

Fuyumi slowed down without her will, meanwhile she tried to figure out, who was the unlucky victim.

"Come, on! We have no time for this!" her mate, Michio Otomo (boys #13) finally sounded in his urgent voice "I want to live, damn it!"

The last sentence was drown out by the beasts, they howled loudly as rarely, that made Fuyumi realise, how narrow the distance is between the wolves and themselves.

_'His right, we can't help anyone at the moment... everyone should take care for themselves, they have to watch their own back. Oh, God... Kirika... Erina...'_

The terror in her heart almost made her freeze, it seemed as the duo from 10 metres heard her thought. An agonising yell thrilled the leaves on the trees; Fuyumi couldn't see another direction, only into that. It was Kirika Kido girls #5), the girl, who screamed before. Another person answered in a grum deep voice right away, and that person was... well... closer to the Morimoto girl, as she thought by that time.

"Come, I'll help! Hurry!" Baku Shoda (boys #11) helped Kirika up from the ground and they started to run with great speed.

"What's wrong with you, Fuyumi?! I don't wanna get smeared here!" Otomo didn't try to hide his angry feelings anymore, he snapped at the girl.

Who didn't listened to him, she rather went after the others.

"Baku" she shouted uncertainly, then decisively again, while started running with all the powers "Baku!"

Baku and Kirika had the advantage in the course of fleeing, but hearing Fuyumi's voice...

"Fuyumi!" Shoda recognised the girl, he sounded a bit hysteric and some branches crackled as a sound of the boy's turning-back.

The wolves also approached, that's why Fuyumi had to hurry. She got a glimpse back only once, it was enough to see the pack as a dozen grey shadows. Finally she and Shoda crossed each other's path.

"Fuyumi, are you alright? Let's go, they have at our heels!" he took a deep breath to gather some strength and without any word, they all continued running. Kirika didn't have a long wind, her round face was pale and covered in sweat - she couldn't even say a single word loudly, just groaning. They just run and run only with the survival (or maybe with the laughing face of the Death) on their mind. The trio had some hope - not much, just a little - maybe the animals (the combined wolves of Fuyumi and Otomo's and the ones of Kirika-Shoda's) going to give up the hunt or let's come to an end already!

Soon Michio Otomo joined them as a wolf behind him from the shrubs on the left, too. The animal needed only the best moment to reach its prey and wanted to jump, but for Otomo's luck, the wolf twisted its ankle, so it needed time to close up. In the meantime, two more of them arrived, helped the pack by the hunt. They left the injured one behind, they wanted fresh meat at any cost, with all their attention and energy. Kirika screamed from her final strength and Fuyumi also opened the mouth to shout - they could just think about one thing: they will die soon.

Fuyumi felt Shoda's hand on hers, it was tense, but not as heavy as the fierce physical press in every soul.

"Look!" suddenly Otomo shouted, louder than any noise came from the wolves.

The others looked around carefully, until they found out something sturdy with silver glance. There, in the middle of the forest. They had to force their eyes to examine the thing more extensively: it was a silhouette of a massive wall, which was climbable. Hearing the relief coming from the classmates, Fuyumi herself started to gain hope again. Maybe they could escape... or can they?

As they approach to that wall, its surface started to seem in every detail - a huge metal "fence" glanced in the pale moonlight. Then the kids faced the other problem: two fresh blocks after defeating the previous one. First of all, they arrived to a glade, no more thicket, only pale ground with roots standing out of it and lot of small rocks. And of course some tall unclimbable trees, ones with flat skin. Well, if someone wants to do it so badly, they can climb up, but not in time - the wolves would get there. And for sure... the smaller students, like Anri Souma, Sonoko Kuroki or Nichie Shiomi wouldn't have the slightest chance. So it was not a terrain (like before), what causes difficulties for an animal, mainly for a wolf. So Fuyumi and the others had to run as fast as they could, in this non-lower vegetation ground the beasts made up lost ground. Now Kirika cried without a break, Michio sworn more and more as time went by, and Fuyumi bit her lips so strongly, that it almost bled. She revolted against the clearly end.

Shoda was the only one, who fought more intent, he run with the girls by holding their wrists and didn't accept the case of fail. As the distance decreased between human and animal, so lesser was the distance between the wall and the stampeders. Soon it crested them as a big rampart, the only chance for the survival. It was made of iron and sort of metal scales, so the kids had some way to climb up to the top.

The moment they've reached the wall - they almost bumped against it from the dispatch, they wanted to get up from. Fuyumi stopped herself with her hands that was how she prevented the crash. She barely touched the metal surface, immediately felt, that someone lifted her up by the arm. She saw Shoda standing in a metal handhold somewhere above her, the boy was by the half of the ca 3 metres high wall. Thus he helped the girl up, by that time Kirika sit already on top as Michio Otomo, too. Kirika gave a slight but also anaemic smile to her saviour, because Otomo was, who helped her up.

Well, the wall was high, but still narrow in diameter, all those four had to hold themselves tight if they didn't wanted to fall down.

"Oh my gosh, what's that over there?" Shoda almost dropped Fuyumi, he was so shocked by hearing Kirika's nervous voice.

Or rather because of the answer, she had got next from Otomo.

"Oh, crap! There's a gate next to us, Shoda! It's open, and out of its hinge! We're stuck here if those beats surround us!"

That was unbelievable! Not now! They did it, almost as wolf-food, but did it. And now... From one hole into another. It is like for example, a mouse manages to cross the road but on the other side the cat hunt it down. Bullshit! They won't croak there so easily!

It was enough him to envision Moskvin's malevolent grin, vengeance awakened in him to strike back to the soviet in some way. First, he had to stay alive and he won't let his friends in danger either.

"What are you waiting for goddammit?! Go and put that door back!" the other boy sit passively in place, so Shoda ordered him to do something already, as himself lifted Fuyumi up to the top with a single movement.

And he wasn't unactive after that, when Fuyumi was safe and held herself shivering on that huge "fence", Baku landed on the other side. Scratch!

Both the knees hurt from stabbing pain because of the metal clinch he had in there by reason of a prior motor-bike incident. And as in similar situations, when he exerts himself, the knees hurt extremely as hell - until a big rest.

Well, the doctors said those knees won't be the same again. But now, they don't have the luxury of time for a break, so Shoda found his feet again - heard another "scratch" coming from the knees with a ton of pain extra. He didn't give a damn about it, only made a wry face as sign and ended it with a short moan. He was not a man of this stamp to hit the roof for thing like that!

Otherwise, how fast he reacted even with the knees had been operated, others would have failed in his place for sure! _"I'm curious, how far they would have made. It's a pity, nobody has seen my action here..."_

Shoda thought of the other boys from the 3/e, since in every normal class have rivalry between sexes - he only missed Otomo out of calculations, he had low opinion about the boy. Little fag, who could thank to be popular because of his handsomeness. He had only big mouth in addition...

But that was enough for bringing back Baku's lost egoism he left in the airport; that was the last time he had told about his goal in the football-championship between local high schools - and he was also sure about how a coward dickhead Michio Otomo was. That classmate of his was in the scene when he got wind of success. Like his movements shoved that way, Otomo landed near Shoda only when he saw the other in one piece (by the gate).

"Look out! They're here!" suddenly the two girls shouted.

By this time the growling and howling wolves smashed into the metal wall. They were standing to the two hindlegs, they couldn't reach the students. Although Kirika and Fuyumi were screaming, while they were clinging together.

Now or never! - thought Shoda - if those bitches notice the gate, we're over!

He saw the gate lying on its side, out of the hinges, and it was massive but over the doorhandle, the wolves could pull their face through. First, he focused on putting the gate back to its place; he got on the knees again (another crack) and made it done. Well... he would have made if the hinges weren't so rusty and malformed. And in the top of all, one of the three hinges was missing, the one from the middle. And only the third on the bottom was in its place, which held the gate against coming down.

Shoda was extremely furious, why things weren't going as he planned (only once in a life, goddammit!) and he was about to call Otomo for help, but he noticed the girls waving arms while they were sitting on the top. Kirika and Fuyumi unmistakably wanted to attract his attention. More truly, only Fuyumi tried that, and Shoda figured out the reason not too later: the animals have found the gate and were going to attack them. The boy had no choice, he gave his full and last strength for putting the gate back to the place (among the walls), then held it with his back. Thus he held the field against the wildly attacking pack. He was sitting in a position, in which the beasts couldn't scratch him with the claws and teeth among the gate-grids, but he had a hard task to hold their whole weight only with himself.

He just held and held on and tried to figure out something, to find a way out... somehow... maybe... it couldn't be like this forever, and the wolves were way too hungry for leave their prey so easily.

Suddenly, the pressure on his back lightened, and Shoda also felt some pleasant flower-fragrance with the coming wind. A soft, smooth skin grazed his arm dressed in the black student uniform.

"Fuyumi..." Shoda didn't need to look that direction, he knew who was coming. He wet his thirsty lips afterwards.

"I thought you need a hand. You helped a lot to me tonight. And not only now..." she answered without looking at him. She passed the boys glance, even some desire could be heard out in her voice next to the gloom and distress.

Shoda finally started to give the girl a searching look, and as she didn't return this staring, he sounded:

"Go! Run away from here! Immediately!"

Fuyumi stayed tuneless for a second, until she had a sigh.

"No, Baku." she said expressively, still looking for another direction.

Only those called him like this, in his first name, who had a good relationship with him, he was only "Shoda" for the others - and that way they could make a difference between him and the other Baku of the class, Baisotei (boys #1).

Even so, it felt good hearing that, oddly from Fuyumi. At this holy moment.

"Why are you saying that?" he only had that answer.

Another time, he tended to make himself see red, rampage, vent on other people around him when they didn't obey his words, but not today. Now, he felt nothing, but calm to the bitter end. The wolves haven't succeeded yet by breaking in, so it seemed, that those sounds came from another dimension.

"Otomo streaked off." she reported promiscuous-like, just to break silence. She looked directly with the light blue eyes, to the point, when Otomo disappeared moments ago.

"And your life depends from such a son of a bitch!" unexpectedly, Baku Shoda pealed, both of the arms palpitate with anger.

The classmate on his right quivered, but continued.

"Kirika is with him. I said her to go..." then quickly added.

She still passed the boy's look, but she felt his parching gaze.

"I stayed, 'cause I am not been able to make all this through. I have no strength or mood left... Otomo deserves to croak with me, but with any luck, he will survive. Everything..."

"Don't be foolish, you won't die!" Shoda pealed for twice "not until I protect you!"

All unawares, they felt a huge shake on the gate. One of the wolves made this. The conversation went on though, as it wouldn't have happened.

"But only one of us could remain!" Fuyumi forced a smile on the face and turned Shoda's direction, so their look happened to meet. However, the girl drew hers aside.

"Can you protect me from yourself?"

Shoda was truly embarrassed by hearing Fuyumi talking like that.

"From myself? Why should I...? You know me, I have never hurt you! When did I do such..."

Fuyumi's speechless and painful gaze put him to silence. That was enough for Shoda to dig up some old things from the past, and as he red from the girl's sad eyes, those things broke surface one after the other. Yeah, there was something... something; it causes them to break with each other. And the reason is... because... _I treat her so hard._

I feel like a dish mop - Fuyumi used to say before.

Shoda shook his head, he didn't want to think about it more deeply, but the painful memories were coming, whether he liked or not. According to Fuyumi, he changed... he wanted an answer and then they argued... he drive Fuyumi against the student hostel-wall... she cried, and just looked into his face with eyes that swim with tears, asked the boy to let her go... but Shoda pressed her more and more stronger... he squalled like a monster... he was jealous... to that dude, who is now Fuyumi's boyfriend. Life sucks.

"Do you love him?" his voice echoed so strangely at the moment, in the background of the wolves' noises. Those attacked not so zealous by now, anyway.

"What?"

"Do you still love him?" he didn't care the embarrassed "what" question and the same-like gaze Fuyumi gave him, what he certainly couldn't see. This time Shoda was ashamed to look to that direction.

"Do you love Wataru?" he added. No answer came.

That was an awkward silence; they both felt the change in the atmosphere. Like the attack of the beasts couldn't be heard at all.

"I asked something!"

Fuyumi didn't want to open her mouth. A paw and sharp claws almost reached her, but the wolf touched only her mop of hair. That was close, although neither of the students cared. At the moment Fuyumi stood on the edge of crying.

She broke in her voice, prefer to swallow in order to mask that. She gave anything, just Shoda let her not to answer. Mainly because of that "yes", somehow... she didn't understand the reason, but saying that out aloud, that would hurt her so much. It was clear by now, that all of them will die soon - needless to fight about the thought, it was a fact now and she could only accept it deep in her breast.

She was skeptic about that so called "winner". Sure, the lucky one can go home to tell the world about the soviets' bloody game, eh? Right, and Emperor Yoshiro wants to disclaim his title. There is no escape from here, nor a way out. Fuyumi finally understood, what she only had smiled upon earlier with her naive pleasure-bent lifestyle; everyone is one in a million, she is just another person for others, as they are another people in Fuyumi's perspective. And nobody came to help her, the whole 3/e are just "others" for people, who will just thrill when hearing their death rumor. Maybe some of them will be shocked, but deep in their hearts, they still relieve - how fortunate, that such things only happen to others!

Fuyumi smiled bitterly and a slight teardrop ran down in her beautiful face at the same time.

"The life's not always about us. You have to accept that."

Shoda nodded with numbed mind, while he was staring at his expensive sport shoes from a big brand.

Finally he sounded.

"I listened to that, too after we weren't together anymore."

"Really?" that was pleasant news for the other student, it was surprising to hear, that sometimes her ex-boyfriend listened other than electro, drum 'n' bass or progressive house.

"Yeah, I just realised truly, how true these verse are." Shoda took a big breath then begin the song (a bit automatically).

_"Everything had gone, you've dreamed about__  
__It fell down slowly like a house of cards__  
__I don't need nice words, nobody gets here any..."_

_"I think we're late and you'd just rebel."_ now Fuyumi took the word from him.

As they said their common song aloud together, they could hear more and more the voice of the vocalist of that band - Hooligans - instead of theirs. They got to know this band accidentally however from an illegal abroad music channel on TV, which happened to appear on the screens in the Empire of the Rising Sun because of bad encoding or something. Some badasses caught the fancy, so that song of the band from a far away country became a school hit. The numbers of the illegal downloadings suddenly increased - yeah, people could use Internet with restricted access, the Shogunate set a watch on Internet traffic in the name of "defending the nation".

"_Tomorrow... No fear, no talk, don't say, it's okay. Life isn't always about us..."_

These verses called up distant memories Fuyumi and Shoda shared together, memories, which will never return. Those pleasant moments...

"_Dawn spring upon me, that day won't be the same again, when your voice woke me up. Only in the deep of my dreams I keep that flame, everything's gone with the wind."_

Shoda looked at his love, who sit in silence and was listening his voice. That was the ending of the refrain.

_"If you turn your back on me, 'cause you think, that's the way,__  
__what else can or should I say?"_

This could be even an implication. Now, that Fuyumi rethought this conversation better, the conclusion she made started to bother her.

"So that is all about!" the outcry of hers broke the nostalgic glamour, the song created. "So, you think I betrayed you, because I have another boyfriend?"

No answer came, Shoda just continued:

_"You don't have to hide what comes from your soul,  
And don't have to shame it, 'cause it was for us, two.  
I didn't think I had a choice at the end,  
I think I'm wiser now, it won't hurt anymore:_

_say: good-bye..._

_No fear, no talk, don't say, it's okay. Life isn't always about us..."_

"'You hear me, Baku?" like she had been awaken from sleeping that took years, she slap the forehead "I can't believe, we're doing this! It's not the time to talk about that! They want to kill us, does it matter who is together with who?"

It was hard to read his feelings from the face, mainly thanks to the current time of the day.

"Some moments ago, you said that you can't make it through. And now you wanna go?" Shoda said shortly.

"Yes, but..." she stood also surprised by the changing in the motivations, she felt like her mind swirled, those memories made it.

She wanted to run, until she doesn't have any legs anymore, without stopping in the rest of her life. She felt like she started to lose sanity, or else they won't just sitting around here wondering on the past - first of all they had to figure out how to stay alive. How ridiculous, that love topic is always superior against someone's physical health... or how people say it, the point stays the same. Well, Ms. Kusonoki was right after all! She talked about something once in history lesson, that it is scientifically proved, population during the two world war didn't decreased considering the birth rate - but we don't have to go that far beyond, there are extreme situations in these days, too. So, the scientist have proven, war has such mental pressure on people, that it strengthen the reproductive instinct in them.

Fuyumi remembered clearly on that certain history lesson, how the boys made jokes about that. Hopefully, none of them would go so far, she only found strange, why she has found some truth in this theory.

She wanted to say something sensible, but Shoda (who actually was waiting her to speak) did that before the girl.

"Don't you understand, Fu? Do you know how it feels, if you see your true love with another person? As he takes your hand, kisses you... if I... if I protect you in this game, I do it in favor of Him. So..."

They were staring at each other for long, Fuyumi's heart started to beat swiftly. She saw in the other's eye exactly the same wild rage she saw when they broke up. So this is the end. She will die for that reason. If I can't be his, I won't be anyone's. Instead of that, she didn't move, stood Shoda's black look. If it is written that way, so be it.

Suddenly something happened. Shoda made a motion; the gate behind him gave a creaking noise. That made them realise the great silence around them. Only the breeze rustled, the trees soughed mildly and the moonlight gave the students some light. No wolves in the near.

"Shit, they've left!" after a short look-round, Shoda gave a short laughter forth.

"Man, you're right." his partner acted as she was surprised. For some reason, she wasn't interested in this side information. Was she that much confused?

"Looks like, they don't dig sloppy things. Anyway..." Shoda stood up, in the meantime he took a look around by the gate to make sure the wolves had really left (or it is just a hunting technique, throwing the prey off its guard); he continued as a side-talk.

"As much as I am thinking on all of this, you know, this between us... I don't give a fuck, who's your boyfriend, I'll get you out of here if I can. So don't feel bothered because of my feelings." by the last sentence he acted as he made a victim of himself, maybe to awake guilt in Fuyumi. "I might looked at you a bit stupid now, I just wanted to end this part of our past."

Fuyumi was unable to say something. She believed, things couldn't go more confusing, but she was wrong. As she looked at Baku Shoda, she saw the old Baku in front of her, the boy she met in the first year school camp.

He was cool, charismatic but also attentive. Then Fuyumi shook her head. Memories make these... she... she loves Wataru.

"You say that alone!" some inner voice said in her mind. "It is so, or you just fooling yourself?"

Before she could answer, Shoda caught her arm and stepped closer. He almost put his arms to the girl's bust.

"I want only one more. A last one." he asked silently.

Fuyumi knew what he was talking about of course.

"Okay." groaned and felt all her strength disappear. That would be good to press close to Shoda once again, so closed her eyes and waited for the kiss. The sooner they finish this, the better. But...

A single flash was enough to let each other away. Somebody put the lights on their face, some time needed until they used to the brightness in the deep night.

"Who are you?" an energetic warning sounded, free from any emotions.

Right after that, a girl started speaking, who was probably standing next to him.

"These are Baku and Fuyumi!"

Those last two recognised Nana Bunya (girls, #2) as the other boy from 3/e, Fuyuki Shinji Egami (boys #3).

"Ew, you're still thinking about '_that__'_ in such circumstances?"

"At least, there is someone who sticks together." Nana turned toward Fuyuki, she sounded reproachful.

But they interrupted Fuyumi and Shoda, so they stood puzzled from the other "couple" - about 10 metres could be the distance between them - Fuyuki and Nana were in the covering of vegetation, some bushes hid them down the waist. Fuyuki's black uniform faded into the surroundings, but Nana's white shirt looked garish in the blackness.

"Honestly, what are you two doing here exactly?" the boy #3 was curious.

"None of your business, got it?" Shoda grumbled "but you can put that damn reflector outta our face!"

So Fuyuki lowered the lamp which was integrated into the watch (it had quite a strong light) and added huffily:

"Okay, it's all one to me. But if only you cared about your lives a bit more instead of something else, you would see the warehouse from here. It's almost in your face!"

Fuyumi couldn't believe her ears, she wanted to check the location on the map.

"The watch has a stopwatch, I counted the time until we got here." Fuyuki continued (man, why do they need a stopwatch in a survivor game? You can follow how quick you cut throats or something? To gain personal records? This is absurd!) "So the distances we've run compared to the elapsed time, with more than 65 percent sureness, my duo have to reach the warehouse first. Just, as I wanted."

Who knows for sure, how much they had run to achieve that, by the way, Fuyuki didn't seem to be very tired, not like Nana. Not only Moskvin's wolves, Fuyuki crowded her into a hard chase.

Shoda was immediately ready to go, he gave a searching look into the distant, hoped to find the silhouette of the small building.

"There it is!" and finally found it, not too far from their location, the grey walls in the arms of trees and bushes. Sometimes the moon set its shine on that area.

"What did that sadistic say? The faster you are the better gun you get?" Fuyuki added, while Shoda was pondering all this.

Then they gaze met, and an unsaid agreement was born between them: race will decide, who's worth to have better equipment - in the other minute, ready, set, go! People could hear tramps in the nearby, the battle has begun.

The two girls stayed in their place, and were just standing, when Nana turned her light on and decided to go after the boys.

During that, she looked up to the sky and shook the head disapprovingly.

"Come, on!" then said to Fuyumi "let's check them, I don't want to watch as they tear each other apart! Not that we don't have any problems for today, for example being kidnapped and forced into this shit!"

That was the last picture Fuyumi saw in her imagination, everything run into one another and became a blurry mass of colors and shapes. Then the worst of all reappeared again: the cold body of Baku Shoda, full in blood.

* * *

_"And he still loves me. He wants to protect me for somebody else's sake. I'm such a whore!"_

Fuyumi was startled out of her sleep.

It was just a dream. She relived the events in her dreams from the beginning up to this moment. Her limbs were heavy, at least she felt in that way, but she had enough power to look up to the sky.

The edges of the clouds were red from the first sunlight, it was about to dawn. Some breeze blew, the trees rustled because of its movement, but Fuyumi had more important things in mind, than the beautiful vista (well, if they had been in a normal trip, she might had entertain herself with the sky) - for example, that she and Nana are in the edge of the game field they can walk through: according to the soviet readings, exactly in zone G10.

Nana set in silence; she was busy with her own thoughts. Not only she, even Fuyumi took poorly an another death.

At first Ferry... then Ben... and Shoda in that warehouse-like building. Who knows who died during the flight against the wolves?

Nana was later rather angry, because they could do nothing to prevent these meaningless killings; all they could do just sitting and witness if a classmate's life come to an end. When they aren't in a hurry to save their own first.

"Are you OK?" Nana asked suddenly, when noticed, that Fuyumi began to collapse, like a doll.

"I've heard you whimpering while you were asleep." she helped Fuyumi to sit back to her place.

The other answered slowly, it was quite graspless.

"I saw the wolves again, and Him, too..."

Baku, of course. Nana knew this, saying out the name loud wasn't necessary. Instead of continuing the topic she said the following.

"I couldn't sleep all night long, but you're still the one who's looking worse. Are you really all right?"

"No. I'm not."

Fuyumi sighed, then she leaned against that high-pitched cliff, they were sitting by. It was their cover against the rain as also against the others from 3/e. It was difficult to see the two girls from here, they were hidden by frondous vegetation from all sides. The vegetation was also a good natural alarm, the bushes rustled, so the Nana-Fuyumi duo will probably hear if somebody was in the near.

"Besides, we've got a message in our watches." Nana raised her arm, the one, in which she was wearing the boyish wristwatch.

Fuyumi looked at hers with smooth interest, a small envelope jumped from corner to corner on the display and waiting for open. But Fuyumi didn't open it. She didn't care about that damn commander or what he even wanted.

Nana thought, the Morimoto girl still needs to know the changing.

"There is some important information there, though. It's SOLO from now on, which means, we aren't depend on our mate, now." she just got an indolent shrug, but continued.

"We've got the death list and the list of the danger zones. Zones are the parts which form the big game field and one of them will become danger zone in every two hours. That means, you can't go in there, because your chip will explode..."

Fuyumi didn't gave an answer.

"You don't even give a crap who's dead by now?" Nana became suddenly angry "they were your friends! Midori and Iyona! Anri, the Kimura as Isato, too! You can't be so careless like this!"

Like she was speaking for herself, Fuyumi was not listening.

"Look, I'm sorry for Baku, alright? But he is not the only dead!"

"Shut up. I'm done speaking."

Fuyumi said under her breath, so they sat in silence by the rest of the time. Nana calmed down soon and started to plan their chances. They stopped here, because the cliff and the bushes were a good place to hide, while tiding over the night - it's not a really smart thing to roam in the dark, when others, like Fuyuki were prey upon them. Fuyumi was still shocked by seeing Baku Shoda's body in his own blood, she couldn't think of something else, only that.

Only thinking of the boy who promised to protect her. And for the sake of Wataru.

She was the one lately, who became angry; she got up with great speed and said.

"Let's speak about, what comes next!" her voice sounded harsh.

Nana looked wondering at her, what was that sudden changing in the mood?

"I don't have big hopes, but I won't take part in this!" Fuyumi continued " Only Fuyuki should know if he wanna bear to face me or not."

She felt a little lame, that she can't avenge Shoda, but she didn't want to give a chance to anyone for taking more lives away with the weapons she and Nana captured - namely the hunting knife, the Revolver, the UZI and some hand grenades.

Fuyumi wanted to threw them down to the deep (remember, they were by a small cliff), but Nana noticed the intention in time, and was faster. She grabbed Fuyumi's arm and stopped her.

"Are you out of your mind? What are you doing?" asked unbelievably, almost thought, that Fuyumi went crazy.

"I said, I won't take part in this!" the other girl just repeated that sentence, then set her arm free "do you disapprove maybe?""

"Well, no, but if you just throw these things away, anybody can find them! You really think, a small 'hole' "- Nana pointed to the abyss – "would stop someone, like Fuyuki to climb down and get them for himself?"

Fuyumi stand there and let Nana to take over the weapons.

"I can't believe, you thought, I will let that happen!" the second one added. Meanwhile, she swung the knife (it was in its sling-case) under her mate's nose.

The Morimoto girl acted like a fractious child, who was ticked off by her mother.

"Listen!" answered her pat and stopped immediately to swing the knife any longer "we have to show the others, that we can do it in another way! The Russian crowd us into this, they are the real enemy, not our own friends! If we have at least one of these in our side" - she pointed to the weapons in Nana's hands - "we admit their rules!"

Nana didn't felt like she had patience to argue, but she waited Fuyumi until she ends her opinion. A tired sigh was the answer.

"So if you wanna stay with me, you have to get rid of those!" i.e. the weapons.

She didn't wait Nana to decide, she left the place immediately.

"You're unarmed! Where do you want to go? We're clear targets, do you believe they...? The others will gladly hunt us down, when they see us as an easy prey! Don't be foolish!"

Nana shouted after her.

"I don't want to see someone in such way as we saw Baku, clear?" Fuyumi stopped for a second and then continued her way in the mizzling rain to the uphill ahead.

"Oh, Jesus!"

Nana had a sigh again. She could move more difficult than Fuyumi, but their argument, to stop Fuyumi gave her great strength she never experienced before.

She could but catch up! She felt kind of a duty to set Fuyumi right, because Fuyumi was not a bad girl at all, that was only the society and the wordlings, like Kirika's gang who lead her in the wrong way. She didn't want her to die that way. She pitied Fuyumi very much.

But what should Nana do? Leave the weapons (too much to carry and hurry at the same time) or leave Fuyumi to herself?

* * *

**[Number of students: 33]**

* * *

**The song quote is an existing song, as also the band (Hoolingans - Emlékül). It is a raw translation and of course I do not own it nor the original.  
**


	11. Chapter 9: Guardian angels

_"Did you ever believe?_

_Were you ever a dreamer?_

_Ever imagine heart open and free?_

_..._

_Ever want to be free?_

_Do you even remember?_

_..._

_Ever want to just stop?_

_Do you want to surrender?_

_Or fight for victory?"_

_30 seconds to Mars: Call to Arms_

* * *

**No comment, the lyric-part from 30 seconds to Mars tells everything about the two girls' wiev of life. Maybe they are based on real people? Maybe… maybe not… ;)**

* * *

**Chapter 9**

The sun was slowly about to come up in the horizon. The first rays of light went through the leaves like dozens of pikes. The pit was dark though, where Sonoko and Riki had fallen yesterday into, but they could see the surroundings better than at nighttime.

Sonoko found herself waking up from a tiring dream, at first she thought this whole kidnapping happened only in her mind. But the bird-singing and the blowing wind let her remember, that all this nightmare couldn't be more real. She slept through the whole time that they had spent in this pit - Sonoko couldn't deny, it felt good. She had already more energy and the wound also was okay at the moment.

The girl rose from lying position, that was the moment the wound started to hurt again. As she touched the hurting spot, felt something soft in the arm. Lint. Someone has bound her wound. Obviously Riki did - but why does he carry bandages along? And since when is he interested in her state of health? Just like his twin brother, Kinji, Riki was always a loner and watched society with pretty much unconcern.

Sonoko took a look around in the pit. At the first sight it was more like an underground route which ceiling had fallen down decades ago, than a pit used to trap the unguarded. The pit was a tetragonal, precisely excavated hole with walls made of concrete. As time went by, these walls became full of creeping ivy and other bines, but the main thing, that climbing up to the surface from here was nearly impossible.

And where the heck is Riki? The girl was sitting in her own on the crackling carpet of dead leaves.

_'He can't be such moron to leave me in the middle of the wild!'_

Several minutes and she could hear footsteps coming from the near. Someone was approaching, but from which direction? According to the sound the guy is in the same ground-level. Sonoko barely turned the head leftside, she saw Riki coming through a small rift looked like it was also men-made. The rift was hardly seen because of the dim, just those would see it who knew that it existed there.

"There's a way out. This way!" said Riki shortly, after he was sure about that his partner was up "have to walk a lot, but we will reach surface in the near of the warehouse."

"Err... o-kay." Sonoko didn't know what to say. Then she thought about her wound.

"Anyway, I am grateful... Just let you know..." said, without seeing into the boy's eyes. She wasn't that thanksgiver type (who said out such things openly).

"For what?"

"For helping me... My injury..." Riki shook his shoulders:

"Never mind."

"So, can we go now?" he added.

"Huh? Yeah, sure."

Sonoko helped herself up with the healthy arm and followed the leader.

_'What a shit-kicker! He doesn't even ask about how I am? Needles to thank him the help, he didn't even care! He just did, because our lives depend on each other's!_'

The route was indeed a passage between underground bunkers, as they were abandoned for years, the two students had to use their watch-reflector if they wanted to find a way out.

Thanks to the watches, they reached surface about in ten minutes. At the end they found themselves in a small hole - it was 1,5 metres deep - so only a ledge stood between them and the open ground. Riki climbed out in no time, but Sonoko had problems. In this condition truly; in normal case she used to climb up even a 2 metres tall wall with her bare hands.

They could also see the grey roof of the warehouse from there, Riki immediately headed toward it - looked like he forgot about Sonoko.

"Hey, help me out! I can't climb up with one arm!" maybe Sonoko's yelling was a bit more angry than she planned.

Riki turned back after all, then helped the girl out of the pit by holding her at the unwounded forearm.

"Just in case you have forgotten, I am injured!" scored the girl again with angry face.

"Do you have a boyfriend?"

The question was unexpected from Riki. It was quite a surprise for the other student.

_'He want me to be his girlfriend or what? Or lay me? He didn't give a damn about girls so far, now wants to make up leeway before dying?'_

Seeing Sonoko's obtuse grimace, the explanation came immediately.

"Just, 'cause I would not wonder at your singleness at all."

Sonoko thought, he went to far with that quip.

"Oh, yeah?!"

The girl didn't consider herself too pretty, but neither a snag. There were times, when Norito Royama pay his address to her and Baku Baisotei also said, that she is a sweet one. Moreover, you don't have to go far, enough to take a look around in the 4th Zentsuji Junior High School: how many buns * are there! And they even think the opposite about themselves!

Meanwhile, Riki answered:

"Because you are always bitching for some reason." so according to him, therefore is Sonoko single.

"I am bitching, because I asked your help by climbing out from this damn hole?" Sonoko couldn't stand to speak out loudly.

"We're classmates." Riki said "I can follow your behavior with attention every day. Remember your tone a sec ago... If you can call it an asking... That's more like a shrillness."

He spoke in the greatest calm, just the way if he totally doesn't care the topic they were talking about.

"Good. Next time I won't say anything!" the other decided to remain silent indeed, but before she did, she must do the revenge.

"Not, that you would have a girlfriend!"

"Why are you so sure?" Riki was just as insensible like always.

They had stopped standing, now they started to go.

"A lot of girls are into you in the school, but it looks that girls leave you cold. Maybe you like boys!"

Sonoko didn't see Riki's smile (most likely the first time in his life). The moment the boy noticed this unconventional attitude, immediately took back his cold-blooded look.

"Think, what you want." he said.

"I do, I do."

Well, when she thought it through very deeply, maybe the facts are, that Riki truly has a girl, but that girl lives somewhere else. And Riki is loyal to her, hat's the reason he give other girls the cut direct. Still, Sonoko didn't want to admit that, at least she could mock at Riki about his "midlife crisis".

_'God, what am I thinking? Not, that we have no other things to worry about! For example a real time survivor show...'_

It was awful just to think about that she can't think at all soon. She may haven't noticed so far, but these were the moments, she liked to live for. For such small things. Maybe she had rather a spleen experience about life, but as it seemed to be lost, the girl realized: her status wasn't as full of suffer as much she perceived. She felt at that moment that she loves her classmates, the whole class, and she wouldn't be able to hurt either of them.

Shinji had gotten into Sonoko's imagination. They won't meet again... This year's training camp ...

She returned to reality for the creaking sound of the warehouse door. Sonoko and Riki stepped into a room full with small safes - comparing to the indoor atmosphere this one had a pleasant look. All the safes were already opened, except the 17th, that laid in the far corner on the left. It had only green light, the others shone in red.

They were late. They arrived at latest. No matter, what kind of weapon they are going to find in the box, it will be surely something low. If that something could be named as a 'weapon'.

Riki didn't hesitate, while ignoring everything else, stepped to the 17th safe and opened it's door. His arm in the black uniform disappeared up the elbow as he was on to take the weapon out of the inside. The secret content was a sack, which contained some strange looking glasses and a wrench.

Seriously?! A wrench? You can use it to settle a loose companion-screw with that, nothing else really. You have no chance, especially if the opponent has a firearm.

"What's that?"

Sonoko's focus turned unto another thing so took the glasses out of the boy's hands. She barely pulled them up, everything turned into darkness. More correctly, the colors turned out, summa summarum, she was wearing night glasses. They could have a good use of it after nightfall.

The girl took a few steps in the room with the glasses on her head and looked around carefully, she forgot to do that by entering the warehouse after all - a very considerable and careless mistake. In the warehouse room there was lighting, so she couldn't see much while wearing the glasses. No surprise that she fell through something solid as she walked heedlessly.

A body was on the floor - turned out, when Sonoko got into her feet (luckily, she didn't fall into the wounded arm) and saw Baku Shoda's remains. He was in the gloomy corner of the room... Blood and blood everywhere. Not to mention that horrible smell.

"This is... This..." she stuttered.

"Baku Shoda." the boy answered instead of her and took the glasses back.

"He's dead! He'd been shot! I can't believe it! Who... Who could kill a friend?!"

Sonoko had bad image about Shoda in the first year of high school, and that was, because Shoda hated her without a single reason. Or, because Sonoko was a bit boyish and didn't give a damn about fashion? Who knows, but with time, she found her place in the class so we can say, Shoda and her relationship was quite normal or average for now. On PE when they used to play football, Shoda always wanted Sonoko as full-back.

Besides all of this, Sonoko didn't apprehend how could one of them kill their friend such an ease. The figure in dark uniform looked horrible, full in blood; there was only one word to describe it: a 'figure'.

"The murderer thought that no one will noticed the body?" she was angry because of the powerlessness.

"He or she tried to hide the corpse." the reflection came from Riki and to be honest, Sonoko didn't like the way he spoke about Baku Shoda, but the signs were more important: after a closer investigation (except for feeling queasy) they could see that someone...

"Someone pulled Shoda into the corner." said Sonoko with growingly fear "the blood trails."

Her fingers quivered as she pointed at the small blood pool gathered around the dead body. It smudged at some parts and a long trail sprang out of it to a point, from where the boy was originally pulled into the actual place. According to the signs, this blood trail looked like someone wanted to mop it up before and hide Shoda away from other eyes.

"OMG!" said Sonoko unwittingly and was just staring at the blood unfreely. She wanted to find out so bad from now, how Shoda was murdered.

That person shouldn't have to walk away just easy! It can't remain in secret! They don't even know when the accident had happened but the many who found the boy in the warehouse, had gone to the next gaming field immediately - after entering the building and grabbing their equipment - all of them were probably in great fear and confusion because of the kidnapping (it is still so unbelievable!), then came the fight for their lives...

Sonoko's thoughts were on these things, while she stepped closer to the dry blood-splash which - seeing from the far - could be also some mud splatter. Riki was just standing in her near and thought about something very deeply. During that; unawares or not, he smeared the blood trail with his sneakers. Sonoko had that queasy feeling again, so she quickly ran out of the door into the next game field, avoid to throw up in front of Riki's eyes. If she can vomit at all with empty stomach.

Meanwhile she had hardly heard the rustling noise of the grass under Riki's feet, her thoughts were about one single aspect: if Baku died, wouldn't have been another body next to his? How comes it, that his partner is still alive? What is with the rule 'if you die-you will bring your partner into death too' ? What if... It was never such a restraint, all of that was a lie. Everything started to become blurry. Is it worth to thinking about that? Can they change on their miserable state?

Suddenly a short beep could be heard, just like one after the wolf-chase. The beep came just the time the electrical-controlled warehouse doors closed once and for all behind them. Then everything went silence, only some sole birds were singing for the upcoming dawn all over the second game field. Sonoko and Riki were looking into the display of the watches as one person; they had found a tumbling envelope on the middle and after opening it, a text came up:

_"Good, finally the last of you managed to reach the second field! It took some time, but ah well... I am more sad about the dead so far: only four - FOUR - people since the events on the base! Naaa guys, you can be more tough than that; I hope you will work with full energy from now on! You have weapons, the only task is to kill everyone in your way. That's right, you can kill the partner now, there is no more in-pair-game, we thought you would enjoy solo game better. You can move freely between any zone - yeah, forest again for a change, the border-lines are electric fences - easy enough, huh? And the first (I am afraid also the last) good news for today: in this second field you do not have to worry about moving or mechanical traps... Or there are mechanical however, I cannot remember right :P but it does not matter, doesn't it? You will see!_

_I recommend to walk with open eyes! The list of dead students and the danger zones will be announced at 6 AM; yes, to keep you moving we had to make this - wise if you ask me - decision, we brought the danger zone system from Battle Royale in to Battle Comrade. The second field is partitioned into smaller zones from A to J, numbered from 1 to 10. I am going to send you the new danger zones (in every two hours a zone becomes danger zone) in every 6 hours, the first pack will be at 6 AM._

_Be nice and avoid these, I take it you know the reason. Let me help if not: BOOM! And my advice for the next checking: When something is not forbidden, it is allowed! Good hunting!"_

Sonoko used to read fast as a little girl. So it was nothing to read the text this time, too. She barely believed to her eyes. It was unknown, what will be Riki's reaction next, but her instincts said about a not so bright future.

The girl became tense as she glanced at the partner, seeing, that he was still reading. So she started to back to go away as fast as she could, expected, that maybe she is wrong about her expectation and Riki's reaction.

Riki caught sight of her in this backing position, that was kind of a comical pose, but not this time, when the boy's face was totally empty. Okay, maybe there was a little interest in his eyes.

"What's now? You want... To attack me?" Sonoko asked in trembling voice, still moving backwards.

"I have no other choice." came the answer.

The typical minute, when everything could be sensed in slow motion, like in movies - time stopped for a while, then events got a big speed-up, faster than ever. That happened here, too; Sonoko found herself running away from Riki in sprint - she could barely breathe and the wounded arm hurt again. Every step felt like she was running on burning ember without shoes, but she mustn't stop. She had to reach that thick forest which was lain next to that meadow by the warehouse, where they were before or else Riki will surely got her. Not if Riki couldn't reach her until she reach the forest. Heavy thing...

Sonoko ran and ran, but it had no effect to put even greater effort to the flight, it seemed, Riki is going to got her with she made it to the first few woods.

CRACK! A cracking sound and the "gift" from the soviets, the wrench hurtled into a wood beside Sonoko. She remembered that Riki threw it after her, then a a mysterious classmate came over the way and barged against the Ryusaki twin, who didn't count on that, so the classmate could knock him over.

Sonoko slowed down, but didn't stop. She watched how the classmate fought with Riki and said his last words:

"Run, Sonoko!Run!"

Now she recognized Asuya Fukuda (boys #12) in the classmate's character. This sudden came help was a bit surprising but the girl felt also some guilt, why she left Asuya behind to Riki. She didn't want Asuya to disappoint in her so left the two boys permanently. Her legs hurt very much though. You wanted to remain in practice? Now you can be, girl!

Some minutes passed and Sonoko had no strength left, cold sweat covered her whole body. She was hungry and felt dizzy, the first rays of the morning sun danced blurry in front of her eyes, as they wanted to break through the forest leaves. Her legs was moving on their own initiative: trees, tall grass or leaf-litter, spiky bines - she pushed herself forward through everything was coming up to the way. She wanted just one single thing at the moment: to get off from Asuya and Riki.

_'I wonder, what is happening now with Asuya and Riki? Is it over now? It will surely end up with someone dying.'_

She was busy with her thoughts so no wonder that she fell over herself in a venous root which was stood out of the ground. The downfall was very awful, Sonoko's white shirt became dirty, even if she didn't care right now.

"Rats!" she cursed.

She was up to her legs in no time and looked around after the thing she fell over in. She regretted it later: that wasn't a root at all, those were two mud-stained legs in a dark trousers with white rapper-shoes. The rest lied in the bushes, leaves covered the whole figure - namely Isato Okumura (boys #9) in black uniform. The one amongst the few joculators in the class, although his appearance was sometimes a bit grim or sly - there wasn't a day on the school when Isato couldn't cheer up the mood during lessons. So this boy was lying in the ground now with opened eyes (Sonoko saw only the white parts) and a small hole (a bullet hole, dammit!) in the middle of his forehead.

It was a horrible sight, Sonoko could barely matter, how many horror movies she had seen in her life, nobody could prepare for this. That was the second execution she witnessed today. And a headshot! It's really a headshot! The loathing, pity and grief, the awaring of, that it was no way out, made Sonoko anxious: you can never tell who was preying upon you in every corner - maybe somebody was watching her even now and just waiting for the perfect time to attack. The girl felt herself as she was standing in the middle of an open field as an easy prey.

She closed her eyes and tried to calm herself: the murderer had already left and she was taken care of by her angel anyway - vainly - she still saw in the darkness Okumura's dead body, the white eye parts and blood everywhere. Result of another "friend's" sickening work. At best that was the person who killed Shoda in the warehouse, otherwise more joined to the game.

The second statement was more likely, Sonoko wasn't that naive for assuming the best about everyone.

Suddenly hard, confident steps could be heard again. Then a dark figure approached from the near bushes, it was a boy for sure - if some girl would have come her shirt would be garish against the green surroundings. Unfortunately, the boy was coming nearer ad nearer, moreover he held a gun! Here's the murder ladies and gentlemen!

As Sonoko thought not long ago, he had been hiding somewhere and waited just for her. Sonoko almost cried out loudly, but seeing that the classmate haven't noticed her presence yet (he walked too calmly and wonderingly, like already did his job and now everything was ready) - or this was the catch. The girl had no better idea, quickly hid behind a huge shrub and waited with intensely beating heart. When the boy came very near to her, the girl saw the student uniform filled with dried blood. No doubt, this one is playing. Ah, great... We have found the culprit, Watson!

And now she also saw that so called culprit in the midday light, the handsome Kinji Ryusaki (boys #14). Who probably suspected the presence of the other, because now he was walking with more care and looked around carefully after every step as he would be ready to shoot at any moment.

_'What if Kinji knows, that I'm here and he goes into the opposite direction purposely?'_

Just for a diversion dissembling that he thinks he is alone there... Then will stab Sonoko in the back. Sonoko didn't want to wait until that happens, but if she made a movement, she will surely reveal herself. So as Kinji was half in her sight, the girl started to stalk on all fours, contrary like Kinji did. She didn't believe that she could make it without a scratch, nearly felt the fatal shot on the back.

She covered a pretty much distance in this position, amid sharp rubble-stones, dirt and mud until she thought, things settled down a bit. Then came the next adrenaline-dose. A frightened wildling, maybe a deer came up out of the blue in a great suddenness, skipped over the girl and finally vanished - but the entering turned out a bit noisy.

"Damn!"

Sonoko cried excitedly, maybe louder than she should have. She felt, that her heart almost jumped out of the chest. Kinji stopped moving in a far place. He hearkened and after a short planning, he started moving again - and this time into Sonoko's direction.

The girl couldn't do differently, jumped into the thick bushes with great speed. From that hiding she got a great view by the surroundings of the place she was standing afore, as Isato Okumura's body also could be seen from there. Kinji reached Okumura by then, and after stopping he crouched and was just examining something for minutes long. He ran over his finger on the ground just like he would show over the path of something in his mind. Of course! He is searching for clues! For lack of advanced gadgets he's doing the survivor's way by using clues: the nature as GPS.

Sonoko left some traces behind and Kinji Ryusaki had found them. Later the boy got going along these traces. Sometimes he lifted up his head but it seemed like he was still watching with the "third eye" while reading the signs. He was following Sonoko's previous path apparently, skillfully and without a noise - the twin watched over not to graze to anything. His actions were cunning, that much Sonoko could say.

An agonized scream saved her skin after all (even it meant someone's end), an unexpected moan came from the near, that goaded Kinji's curiosity. He turned into the direction, he heard the screaming from and alike his brother, Riki, ran away toward the sound with enviable speed. Kinji disappeared soon in the wild.

Sonoko lightened right away and took some deep breath as sitting down to the ground to have a rest. Even she considered to move on immediately, would be quite a foolishness to waste this acquired-as-a-gift escape. Rather a surprise in the next moment, when across the way another girl stepped out of a cracked tree-hole.

Sonoko just realized who was there. The girl who she wanted to meet all the time: Rumiko Ozawa (girls #9.) She didn't need to shout, Rumiko also noticed her presence and waved her hands to greet the friend. Sonoko waved back and smiled.

"Hi, it's so good to see you!" Rumiko seemed so happy.

As the other one, too.

"Yeah" Sonoko nodded "we won't separate again. But lets go and find some shelter before Kinji's going to come back."

"Okay."

Rumiko looked around restlessly, although there wasn't any sign of movement in the near at the moment.

The warehouse, which connected the two game fields together was in the zone J5, the two students were standing in J4, westwards from it. As long as they won't be furthermore from J4 (and also from Kinji), they didn't feel safe, so they headed toward another zone. It was the zone H4, 200 metres far from J4. Their shelter was a small wooden hut, looked like an old wood-shed. Its door could be closed, and it has also an "emergency exit", a small window near the rooftop.

Big enough for Sonoko and Rumiko to crawl out in case of an attack. That was the best they could wish for a hiding place!

"That's the best we can wish for a hiding place!" said Sonoko and finally sat down to the floor, next to her classmate.

She drew up her knees to the chin and put her arm around them. They were both in this position, and none of them said something, until Rumiko noticed Sonoko's injured and bandaged arm.

"What happened to you?" Rumiko asked anxiously.

"Nothing." Sonoko answered after a moan "Inukai had ran at me with a lance."

She stared the orange scarf as Rumiko did.

"Does it hurt much?"

"I can get used to it." Sonoko acted like it wasn't something big at all, she didn't want to see Rumiko in stress.

"But what if the wound is going to be infected? Can I take a look? Maybe I can help." she wanted to do it straight away.

"Ryusaki took care of it." Sonoko refused with a soft smile.

Rumiko's eyes became round from surprise.

"Riki? He was your partner?"

"Yes."

"Mine was his brother. The worst we could get..."

"Hell yes... Now I can understand the situation before."

"Imagine..." Rumiko started to tell her escaping story

"Kinji wanted to kill me immediately after he had red the text message about solo game. I had extreme luck, that he went to settle his _routine duties_, so I could read the message first. I could never read fast enough, but now it was my day. I just ran without knowing any direction or something."

"Riki did the same. I mean, he wanted to kill me."

Sonoko told her part.

"We were in an open ground, he would have caught me, but... But Asuya came, so I reached the forest and escaped... I hope he's okay..."

"Yeah..."

"I don't understand why he helped me. He risked his life for me, instead of trying to find Yaeka! She is his girlfriend! I would surely look after my love in his place!"

Sonoko felt some guilt, it was enough to think, that Asuya may not lived through the fight with Riki. The other one was sitting in silence, too, she became gloomy by hearing the word "my love". She stared the floor as she would be in another world in head.

"I bet Asuya didn't get Yaeka as partner." Sonoko continued speaking "but getting the Ryusaki twins, it was an ass thing from fate. Even Murata would be a better teammate! Riki and Kinji are crazy!"

"U-huh..."

"Rumiko, everything's alright?" Sonoko finally noticed the other student's bad mood.

"Huh? What? Sure..." Rumiko, like someone was waking up from a charmed dream, started to speak, but about a finished topic.

"I could hide easier from Kinji, I think... I had more time, because Isato showed up and Kinji wanted to kill him first. Poor fellow, he had a horrible end."

She closed her eyes tightly to get rid of the sight about Isato Okumura's dead body. Rumiko was always a serene type and didn't like to see people hurting or arguing each other. It were times, when she was out of her mind and pelted the others abuses in her near, but by those occasions she tried to do harm only in the furniture. That was the trace of her parent's divorce, the heaviest times of her life, when one bad thing followed the other.

"Do you have any weapon?" Sonoko suddenly asked. She helped Rumiko to come back to reality in mind.

"No, Kinji took away from me."

"That bastard Riki took away mine, too!"

Silence came again among them. Sonoko returned to worrying about her wound, as it started to hurt with great pain - it was greater than before. Now the sitting was also uncomfortable, but she didn't even complain a word. At least the wound wasn't bleeding. If she will be lucky, she won't get septicemia. As a little girl she had been hurt by any rusty stuff, she never got septicemia. Maybe luck won't leave her even now.

Rumiko came up with a new thought.

"Did you see Shoda?"

"Sure. We were the last ones with Riki."

"Really?" that wasn't the answer Rumiko expected.

"Really." so Sonoko told the adventure with the Etsumi-Yurisa team and all the followings happened with her so far.

Her friend listened to the speech with serious face.

"You had a hard night then... day... or whatever..." answered quietly and with sympathy "I'm sure it wasn't easy to pull through.

Sonoko shook her shoulders: Never mind now.

"I have no idea, what would I do... I think nothing, sith I want to be the other me... So badly... You know..."

Sonoko, seeing her face in blush understood what did Rumiko mean by that. But she didn't understand, why is it so hard for Rumiko to speak about topics which are always on card in every day. The Ozawa girl tried to be though and started to speak: We didn't meet anyone just animals and a lot of military traps... If Kinji was not there, I would surely be dead by now...

Sonoko conceded, that she became also uncertain about their "theory", if she thought about her angel; or it was simply, because they won't be a "connective person" soon. Who knows. There is no way out from here, they are going to die all - that was certain now - her body, the instincts were against it, in soul she thought, she had already accept death.

This apocalyptic feeling let into her mind the last close-to-death experience, aka the view of Baku Shoda's cold body.

"I can't even imagine, who could do such a thing." Rumiko started. She wanted to remember him as a confident, charismatic boy, but the body fully covered in blood... It made her shiver again and again.

"I think they were afraid of Shoda. 'Cause he was strong and all. The one centric in the class." said Sonoko.

"Maybe. He was a bit... showoff. Like the others, who has rich parents."

"Yeah, he sold the Suzuki, the inheritance left by her father to a Mitsubishi Eclipse. The Suzuki wasn't good enough."

"That's not the point!" Rumiko interrupted her "we are all afraid. We are all choose our life instead of other's, that's understandable. I think the ones, who aren't themselves anymore are killing, because they are distrustful and want to evade betrayal. No?"

She took a short pause before saying out her final words:

"No matter what happens: I won't kill. I don't want to."

"Neither do I, but sometimes... If I am very angry, I think I could do it... I know if that's a terrible thought..."

"That's natural. But if you had the chance, you won't be able to do it." Rumiko looked into the other's eyes "killing is more difficult than innocents think, if you ask me."

"I don't know. I start to be more and more uncertain. You said right now, how will friends become enemies. I couldn't ever imagine, that any of us could do harm for the others. I thought we are a solidary class!"

"This case is different now... An impossible situation."

"I thought at first, we could gather and figure something out. Not that way, like Yumiko Kusaka and Yukiko Kitano did in BR... I have that much carefulness but... Now I don't believe in that."

"That was a story from Koshun Takami. This IS reality! Things go elseway here. I am thinking about something in these days often..."

"And what is it?"

"We live in a student hostel and meet each other every day, but I don't know our classmates. I still don't know what should I expect from them."

_'Can I trust in them? Could we accomplish, that we convince people to trust us? Can we successfully prove with our actions that we are not in this so called game? This blind bargain leaves always a question: what guarantees, that they believe us?'_

Sonoko, to do something other, not just sitting, dusted her shirt (although it was so dirty, that one washing wouldn't be enough), then the skirt.

Meanwhile Rumiko continued:

"What do you think about gathering only our roommates? It may worth a try."

She talked about the room Nr. 370 in the student hostel, in which they lived on weekdays. Namely: Nana Bunya, Chisato Ozawa, Midori Ogiwara, Sonia Tenzai and themselves.

"But I have concerns about Chisato. She never liked me."

Rumiko looked like as she really was ashamed of her malevolent feelings, but Sonoko understood that. Don't need to fool others, if we fell that way. Anyway, more people were in Sonoko's "not trustworthy ones in 3/e" list.

"Now we are talking. The best if only you and I remain in the team. I had said many times before, but I am going to say it again: my trust is only yours 110 percent." Sonoko sounded clearly and confident, no one should say that she is lying.

"You know a lot of things I haven't tell even to my mother." she added.

Like hearing this applause at the first time, Rumiko got flurried. In a pleasant way of course.

"My trust is yours, too. Even if I don't know how did I deserve that."

"That's just... Things goes..."

Sonoko wished she could say out, how much she respected Rumiko. Naturally she would, but she only knew it in the bottom of her heart, everything was so distant and intangible. This was not a friendship like before, in Amika Kentaro's (she trusted in Amika very much, but Amika betrayed her - 'the last summer affair with Nana' had something to do with that) or Sayuki Shimanouchi's case; Sayuki was her best friend as a kid in elementary school. Sayuki also betrayed Sonoko, but later regretted it and thought everything will be the same. Sonoko forgave her, but things wasn't the same, no matter how much they wanted to believe the opposite.

That was the Kuroki girl's early childhood, here in the 4th Zentsuji Junior High School Amika deceived her, that they are best friend: that wasn't so, Amika was always with Nana and together they always toyed with Sonoko. Sonoko started to have a friendship with Rena then, but for that time Rena was in Benika's hands.

People often make a convenience of Sonoko's trust and kindness, no wonder, that she became quite shy and felt uncomfortable in company. This kind of past hardened her, so she decided to go on her own path and won't depend on anyone. That's why she felt, that she can't give that friendship to Rumiko, what the girl deserves. Not like Sonia Tenzai, who seemed a good friend of Rumiko in these times.

To be this nostalgic, Sonoko felt pain in her head.

"I have enough of everything. This whole shit is beyond hope."

Rumiko was ready with a comforting answer as always:

"Do not forget, we are not on our own."

Sonoko should expect for this kind of answer, but she was too confused to think about anything at the moment. But she knew exactly, how did Rumiko mean by that. Whom was she referring to, to be specific - so the chatting continued just at the point, where it broke when Rumiko shut up perplexedly.

The ones who they were talking about were Lyx and Iku: their guardian angels. The invisible watchers, who took care of them all day and all night. It was quite strange (or crazy) for others, but these two didn't care about that. Not many were let into this "theory" anyway - that everyone has a guardian angel - just a few knew about their secret. For example Sonia didn't accept that, she grew up in a catholic family.

The main thing about how this whole theory was born in their soul: the Empire was by and large a catholic nation until Emperor Yoshiro hadn't established his own cult. Sonoko and Rumiko looked upon this Catholicism to be a great hypocrisy - good example was their own school, the 4th Zentsuji Junior High School: the institute was registered as one of the main Catholic schools all over the Empire, but when the Yoshiro-cult had began, they apostatize the only God among the first ones. That was the reason the two girls started to find a new religion, a solid spot in their life to hold on to. The "theory" just came then, it wasn't just made up.

The basics was very simple: you were someone in the past, and you will be another; and in this current life you are the so called "connective person" through who you were and you will be. This "connective person" has a task: find the reason why is he or she here in the world, and when the reason had been found and the task had been solved, the connective person can leave. But they aren't alone on this tough path, they all have a guardian angel to help them out in their difficult times (in Sonoko and Rumiko's case Lyx and Iku). It is just a form of (a not free-and-easy) transmigration. But after you are aware of that, you can find the answers in your life more easily, from which you were puzzled before and didn't understand why things had happened as they did. The theory was only in a nutshell, Sonoko and Rumiko just kept it secret from public, because it wasn't that sort of thing people can learn from books or memorize for weeks at a time - like math - the theory needed an open, free mind.

So at the time Rumiko said out:

"Do not forget, we are not on our own."

Sonoko was thinking about Lyx and Iku, that they are watching them, even if the girls couldn't see.

"I wish He would be here... For real... And Lyx too. Then it won't be anything to be afraid of." said Rumiko.

"We could save the whole class." Sonoko added.

It was early in the morning now, the sun woke up and shone through the small window of the hut. Many small light-flacks were dancing on the floor.

"Oh, it's morning now." Sonoko noticed, as her belly, it growled like a hungry wolf howled.

"Yeah, we should eat. But find something at first. I can't just sit here!" Rumiko stood up, she were tired of waiting.

If they remain here, others will find them - and in the worst case - not in his/her own. That would be their end. Sonoko angrily kicked the wall:

"In BR, at least the kids got food, they had no problem with eating and drinking! No food? What kind of idiot soviet custom is this? Eh, communists!"

She hardly finished talking, a whizzing sound sounded, coming up from the open air. It was like the sound of an engine... like a...

"Plane!" the two girls shouted as one person.

They don't care about danger anymore, were immediately running into the wild meadow. What if a Japanese scout-fighter was coming? They were saved then!

The early rays of hope had gone just as fast as they came. Sonoko and Rumiko caught sight of the plane soon, and also the hammer and sickle crest on it. It was a carrier, and luckily it started to drop out small boxes with parachute: probably something from Moskvin.

"Maybe it's food! As long as I'm not dead, I need to eat something!"

Sonoko started running from the hill to examine the packs. Rumiko followed her.

Meanwhile, many other planes showed up in the far horizon, so the girls could see, that other packs are landing in the zones nearby. Just a few second later, a short beep and all the students could see the text message on their watches. It was 6 PM.

* * *

* Bun = slang, meaning: unattractive, ugly

* * *

**[Number of students: 32]**

* * *

**Isato Okumura eliminated**


End file.
